And So The Story Goes
by Reese M
Summary: A young girl in a book store tells a group of child the story of the Great Queens of Oz and how they defeated the The Wizard and fell in love. This is Elphie/Glinda story with elements of the musical and the book. Originally published under old account, Thropp Fourth Descending.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Wicked or any of it's characters. Nor do I own the soundtrack. The story is mine, the OCs are mine. I make no money from this I simply enjoy it.

This is an Elphie/Glinda story that's a little bookish, a little musical-ish, and a little soundtrack-ish, yes some of the dialog is taken from the lyrics of the soundtrack, but only some of my favorite bits. It's a mix of future/present.

I posted this years ago on a different account I had. I thought I would repost here.

Enjoy.

* * *

It was spring in the Emerald City and the sun was making everything sparkle and shine. The weather was finally starting to get warm after a bitterly cold winter, but a soft rain had fallen that morning, making things damp and little chilly. People were just starting to go out and about, the city just starting to awaken after a peaceful night. The streets were filled with the sound of shop owners opening their stores, and children playing on their way to school. The gentle morning hum of the Emerald City made the young woman walking down the street smile. She liked the sound of children playing as long as it wasn't her younger brothers and sister, who made a game out of trying to get on her nerves. She didn't have to worry about them now, because she'd actually managed to make it out of the house without anyone, even them, knowing. The girl needed a break from her life inside the walls of her home, so she'd made the decision that morning to talk a little walk.

Pulling her cloak a little more securely around herself the girl headed for her favorite bookstore. A group of young men and women from Shiz, in the city for the spring break, were heading towards her and the last thing she wanted was for one of them to see her. If she were recognized it would take mere moments for it to get back to her home and to her parents, and that would be very bad because she wasn't exactly allowed to be out and about on her own in the city. She'd already been warned several times about wondering out like, but she couldn't help herself.

Sighing in relief when the small group passed she said a small thank you to whichever Ozian deity it was who had just granted the small favor. Slipping into the bookstore she pulled her hood back just enough for the old Gillikinese man behind the counter to see who she was and then winked at him while placing a finger to her lips and smiling. The man gave her a warm smile and an understanding nod before returning to his work. The girl headed for where the newest of the books were and started to skim their spines with her eyes. There were so many since her last visit that the girl smiled brightly, a look of pure delight on her face. Her hand, which had been tucked into her clock, reached out and a long slender finger began to caress the books as she trailed it along the rows. She was so engrossed in choosing several new books that she hadn't noticed the child who'd come to stand next to her.

"I know you!" The child said gleefully.

The girl jumped then flinched. The boy had seen her hand, her skin. "Hello."

The small boy smiled at the older girl. "Your you!"

The girl bit back the snippy remark that lingered on the tip of her tongue. Of course she was she, but why did he have to know that? "I am?"

"Your Princ..." He began.

The girl turned to look at the boy fully, pressing her finger to her lips to shush him but in doing so the hood of her cloak fell away. The girl wasn't much older then fourteen or fifteen, her hair was long, raven black, and curly, her eyes were a sparking blue-green, and her skin was a soft emerald green.

"ess Nessa!"

Nessa flinched again. There was no way to discourage the boy from thinking that she was who he said given the fact there was only one other green person in all of Oz. Dillamond's, or Dilly as most people called him, had raven hair like her, and his eyes were green, where as his twin, Ristin, and their youngest sibling, Idina, looked more like their mom. Their hair was dark blonde, and their eyes bright blue.

"Look!" Another child called after hearing the boy's announcement. "It's Princess Nessa!"

Before Nessa could do anything there were several children gathering around her. Sighing she resigned herself to her fate. She smiled warmly at the children as she crouched down to their level and started to speak with them. So much for getting away, she thought.

A small Quadling girl tugged on Nessa's cloak and removed her thumb from her mouth long enough to ask, "Princess read us book?"

Catching the child's glance at the books she had tucked under her arm Nessa chuckled softly. Somehow she didn't think these little ones would find "Speeches of the Ozmas through the Generations." interesting.

"Please?" The girl asked.

Nessa thought about it for a moment, this wasn't how she wanted to spend her day, but she ended up nodding and tooking the girl's hand. "Alright."

She led the small group of children into the back of the store where there were chairs and a long ruby red couch. Nessa sat down in the middle of the couch, placing the smallest of the children on her lap. All the others sat around her either on the couch or on the floor. With at least seven small faces looking up at her Nessa asked, "How about I tell you a story?"

The children nodded their heads, and spoke their agreement while they clapped and smiled brightly at the idea.

Nessa had to think quickly and then returned their smiles with one of her own. "Who wants to hear the story of the Great Queens of OZ?"

Every tiny hand present went up.

"Ok," She paused to think of where and how to start. She bit her lip as she thought, then nodded to herself when she was ready. "Many many generations ago great Seers from all corners of the land of Oz began to foretell of the future of Oz. This wasn't a strange occurrence, not until they all started to see the same thing." She paused for effect and then glanced up as if she were having a vision. "A stranger in red from outside the boarders of Oz is coming, and for twenty-five years Oz will fall under the rule of deceit and turmoil, heartache and hate." She paused and then looked quickly at the children. "Have heart Ozians!" The children jumped and then giggled. "For Oz will be saved and reborn through truth, and true love."

"The prophecy floated around for years and years long after the visions stop, parts of it fading away, parts of it became entwined with folktales and children's stories. But then the visions returned. A glassblower from Quadling country could see them, and so could a small babe who looked into the green looking glass the glassblower made for her. And so could an old weathered crone who everyone had thought mad." She made a face that had the children giggling again.

"A man in a balloon, the color of rubies, a huge bubble of blood, is coming!" Nessa said with that far away look. "The Regent will fall! The house of Ozma will fall!" She once again looked at the children. Nessa loved to tell stories and to sing, and she was soon focused only on her tiny audience, her story, and nothing else. "The prophecy was clearer then it had ever been before, especially to that old crone. For it was she who saw the rest." Leaning forward a bit Nessa looked at each child's face. "Born under the full moons of autumn and spring of the same year two babes, one of pink and one of green, will grow up and save all of Oz with the one power no magic can touch."

"What's the power?" An eight year old Gillikinese boy asked.

Nessa looked at him and replied, "True love."

The girls all swooned, the boys all gagged.

Nessa smiled before going on. "The Quadling and babe were right in what they saw. Shortly after the babe was found sitting under a dock looking into the looking glass, a man in a big red balloon came to the Emerald City. He over threw the Regent and banished the Ozma Tippetarius. Oz now had a Wizard, The Wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."

The children all booed and hissed.

"All of Oz, or so he thought, loved the Wizard. All of Oz suffered in one way or another under his rule. When the Wizard heard the prophecy, which now included the line, "two powerful witches, one of pink and one of green," the Wizard knew he would have to stop it from ever coming true. He knew that if these witches were to become as powerful as the crone said they would become, they'd have to go through Shiz. The Wizard sent a most fowl creature to Crage Hall to keep an eye out for these witches of pink and green."

Ness scrunched up her face as she looked at the children. "A creature who was Gillikinese, or at least we think she was Gillikinese, because the woman without a doubt looked like a great bloated goldfish!"

The children laughed. A tall figure near the back of the crowd, hidden from view of the princess, with crossed arms looked down at the smaller figure that stood close. The small figurer smiled, a soft blush across the nose, "What?" The small one whispered and then giggled. The tall one's eyes rolled and head shook in disapproval and hidden amusement.

"Now you see the job of the mean, nasty, fishy woman was to keep these witches, when they finally crossed the threshold of Crage Hall, far away from each other. For many incoming classes of young girls anyone who favored the colors pink or green were watched. Our fishy woman was about to give up on ever finding these so called threats, but then one morning while sorting girls into rooms and dorms half of the puzzle stepped out of the shadowed corner of the room. A tall young girl with long raven hair and emerald green skin! Surely this was the girl Fishy was looking for! It had to be! Her skin was green and surely that had to be a sign! The girl was…"

"Queen Elphaba the Brave!" The children roared happily before Nessa could say the girl's name.

Nessa beamed proudly. "That's right, but back then she was simply Elphaba, the Thropp Third Descending from Nest Hardings, and would soon be just Elphie to the handful of friends she would reluctantly make."

Again the tall figure in the back of the room looked down at the smaller. The smaller again simply smiled brightly and giggled.

"Fishy thought that if she roomed our Elphie with a girl so opposite her, a girl who so clearly disliked her, a girl so self-centered and blonde," Nessa enfasized blonde in such a way that small figure in the back of the crowd huffed softly. "It would ensure the demise of the prophecy."

Picking up a little boy and placing him on her lap where the small girl had been before she'd slipped off to sit in the floor to see Nessa better, Nessa continued. "You see Fishy must have never heard the old saying that opposites attract, because the girl she'd put our Elphie with was, at that time, Galinda the Arduennas of the Uplands, on her mother's side of course." Nessa paused to smirk at a private joke and then asked, "Who we know now as?"

"Queen Glinda the Good!" The children cheered.

Again Nessa beamed. "When Elphaba and Galinda first meet they didn't like each other very much because they were so very different, but as they got to know each other they found that their differences a part fit perfectly together. They became friends, they became best friend, they fell in love, then they saved Oz."

"How did they do it?" One of the children asked.

Nessa smiled so brightly she lit up the room as she answered simply, "They defied gravity..."


	2. Chapter 2

_"How did they do it?" One of the children asked._

_Nessa smiled so brightly she lit up the room as she answered simply, "They defied gravity..."_

_"How did they do that?" Another child asked. _

_Nessa smiled. "Like this..."_

The images of Chistery and the other monkeys flashed in Elphaba's mind as she stormed away from the Wizard's palace with the Grimmery clutched tightly to her chest, and Glinda's hand firmly in her own. He tricked her! He used her! She didn't stop, pulling Glinda along with her, until they were well out of the city. Falling to her knees in the soft dust of the road, Elphaba clutched the book to her with both arms now. Her breathing was ragged and her heart was pounding painfully in her chest.

Glinda stood there and watched as her best friend clung to that old spell book, her shoulders shaking. Was she crying? Stepping closer to her friend, Glinda put her finger under Elphaba's chin, raising her face up to look at her. "Oh Elphie!" The blonde gasped as she saw the tears running down her friend's face. She quickly pulled a linen handkerchief from her purse and wiped the tears away knowing that they must be burning Elphaba's skin badly. "Elphie?"

"I hurt them, Glin. That spell hurt them!" Elphaba said when she finally looked up to meet her friend's eyes.

Glinda nodded sadly. "But you didn't mean too, Elphie. He tricked you."

Elphaba sat there stone still simply looking into Glinda's eyes for a long moment before quickly turning her head in shame. "I wanted everything he just offered me."

"You could still have it, Elphie, you could still be with the Wizard." Glinda said carefully.

Raven hair danced around black clad shoulders as Elphaba shook her head. "I know, but I don't want it anymore. I'm different, Glinda. I can't do it anymore."

There was a sudden flash of panic in Glinda's heart. "You can't do what anymore, Elphie?"

"Play the game by their rules." Replied the green skinned woman, in that moment, after what just happened, she wasn't a girl anymore she was a woman. In a quick, elegant, sweep Elphaba was on her feet and looking down at Glinda. Her mind, as muddled as it was, couldn't drown out her heart. Dear Oz she's beautiful, she thought. Reaching out her hand Elphaba offered it to Glinda.

Glinda took the soft green hand happily. Had there really been a time when the thought of this green skinned girl repulsed her? Had she really, actually hated her? "What are you going to do, Elphie?"

What was she going to do? Elphaba looked at Glinda for a moment and then down at the book tucked under her arm. There really was only one thing to do. Looking back up at Glinda she replied, "Fight him."

"What?" Glinda asked, her bright blue eyes wide with surprise. "Fight him? Fight the Wizard? Are you mad!"

Elphaba shook her head and nearly smiled. "I'm thinking rather clearly actually. I'm done with limits, Glinda. I'm done doing things, living my life one way or the other, just because someone said to do this and that."

"But it's the Wizard!" Glinda protested.

"So?" Elphaba replied as she walked over to a tree stump and flipped open the Grimmery. She quickly started looking over spells, chewing on her lip as she did so.

Glinda loved Elphaba's passion, she even shared it, but in that moment she thought her best friend had lost her mind. The Wizard might not have any real magical power but he was powerful in other ways. He had people like Horrible Morrible and Oz only knew who else on his side. Who did Elphaba have on hers? Nessarose? Boq? Fiyero? Her? Yes, yes she had her, but she was hardly enough. Was she? "What are you going to do?"

Elphaba read over the spell she'd found and then looked around their surroundings. Spotting a small shed she walked over to it quickly, the hem of her black dress dancing around her legs. Snatching a broom that had been leaning against the shed she walked back over to book. She looked at the broom, at the spell, at the broom, and then up at Glinda.

The look in Elphaba's eyes both trilled and scared Glinda. "Elphaba. Elphaba, what are you doing?"

"Defying gravity." The green witch replied before turning back to the book. She held the broom out before her and chanted the spell. The broom started to feel heavier and heavier before finally becoming as light as a feather. When Elphaba let go of it the broom hovered in mid-air.

"Elphaba?" Glinda asked as she stared at the hovering broom.

Elphaba turned to look at the blonde and smiled. Holding out her hand she asked, "Glinda, come with me? Think of what we could do together!"

It all came down to this moment. The weeks of loathing, the weeks of growing close, the hours spent watching the other when each thought the other wouldn't notice. All the late nights whispering about what they would do. Neither one pointed it out, but everything they'd ever planned for their futures had included the other. The problem was that even with the soft touches, the caresses, the holding hands, the smiles and the laughs, the tears and the arguments, the nights falling asleep in each other's arms, their feelings were never spoken of out loud.

Glinda stared into Elphaba's dark eyes for several long moments before looking at the offered green hand. Snapping her gaze back up to Elphaba's eyes she asked, "Why should I?"

Elphaba blinked. "What?"

"Why should I come with you?" Glinda clarified with her arms primly crossed over her breasts.

Elphaba smiled brightly and took a step closer to her friend. "We could be unlimited together, Glinda, can't you see that? We'd be the greatest team Oz has ever known! We could be… We could be them!"

"Them who?" Glinda asked.

"Green goes good with pink, don't you think?" Elphaba asked as she closed the distance between her and the woman she loved.

Glinda smiled for a moment but stood fast. "Not good enough."

Elphaba blinked again. "Not good enough?"

"No." The blonde replied primly.

The tall raven-haired woman huffed and strode over to her broom.

Glinda watched as Elphaba gripped the broom, her heart stopping in her chest.

With her broom clutched in her hand and the spell book tucked into her bag, Elphaba turned back to Glinda. She walked over to her and stared down at her. "Come with me, Glinda."

"Tell me why I should, Elphaba!" Glinda insisted. "Say it!"

"Come with me! Please!" Elphaba replied.

"Why?" Glinda asked, nearly begging for her Elphie to say it.

Every moment shared between them all built up inside of Elphaba. She had never been shown affection, or love, and that made this hard. But she couldn't, she wouldn't, loose Glinda because of her own faults. "Come with me… because I… Because I love you!"

Glinda yelped in pure pleasure and joy, as threw her arms around the taller woman's neck. "I love you too, my Elphie!" She had to stand on tiptoe but Glinda managed to kiss Elphaba. She relaxed and deepened the kiss when she felt Elphaba wrap her free arm around her. She didn't even notice when she and Elphaba started to slowly leave the ground. When the kiss ended and Glinda realized that she was floating in the air, for real and not just in her head, she yelped and clung tightly to Elphaba tightly.

There was a huge smile on Elphaba' face when the kiss ended and when she felt the air all around them and nothing solid under her feet. She held Glinda tight, threw her head back, and cackled blissfully.

The laugh startled Glinda. She'd never heard her Elphie laugh that way before. She smiled brightly. "Ooo I like that."

"Do you?" Elphaba asked as she lowered them back to the ground.

"Very much so." Glinda replied as she kissed Elphaba again. "I like that too."

Elphaba smiled as she reached up to caress Glinda's face. "Me too." Leaning down she kissed the smaller woman again. When she pulled away this time she leveled out the broom and sat on it. Holding out her hand she asked, "Well, are you coming?"

Glinda smiled brightly and took Elphaba's hand. "Where too?"

"Somewhere safe, somewhere we can work this all out." Elphaba replied as the broom began to rise. It was an amazing feeling. The freedom of it was unlike anything she'd ever felt, and yet it couldn't hold a candle to how Glinda made her feel.

Making sure to keep them out of sight, knowing that the Wizard's people would be looking for her, Elphaba headed west. Fiyero had once told her of an old castle in the Vinkus, Kiamo Ko, that belonged to him but he never used it. It would do for what she had in mind. She smiled a little as she felt Glinda holding tightly to her with her pretty blonde head resting on her back. She'd been terrified at the thought of taking on the Wizard alone, but with Glinda with her, well she was still terrified but she also felt hopeful and strong. Of course she'd never let Glinda get hurt, so that added a new twist to all of this, but she'd have it no other way.

By the time the two woman made it to Kiamo Ko the moon was high above their heads. Elphaba landed with a bit of a thump in the courtyard and flinched. "Sorry. I'll have to work on that."

Glinda nodded but smiled. "You do that." Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the chill of the night air she looked around at their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"Home." Elphaba answered as she led the way into the castle. "At least for now."

Following Elphaba inside Glinda created a bubble and filled it with light to light their way. As they ventured further and further into the deserted castle she looked at the tapestries and paintings on the walls. "These are Winkies in the art work."

Elphaba nodded even though she wasn't sure Glinda could see her doing so. "This is Fiyero's palace."

"Oh." Glinda replied simply.

Something in the tone of her love's voice didn't sit well with Elphaba. "Oh?"

"Well it's just he never mentioned to me about..."

"Were you really going to marry him?" Elphaba asked cutting Glinda off.

Glinda was really glad that the soft pink light coming from her bubble hid the pink warming her face as she shook her head. "No."

Elphaba stopped and turned to look at the smaller woman. "No?"

Pink quickly became deep red as Glinda's whole body blushed. "I was… I was trying to... Well, you know…"

Elphaba laughed again and threw her arms around the small blonde. "You wanted to make me jealous?"

Glinda nodded.

Leaning down Elphaba kissed her wonderful little pink lips. "Your to cute my pretty one."

That statement made Glinda smile brightly. "So I'm yours now?"

"As much as I'm yours." Elphaba replied.

Glinda titled her head up and looked into dark eyes that sparkled with bits of pink light. Reaching up she caressed Elphaba's face, which made the taller woman close her eyes a little. "Oh Elphie, we just have to come out of this for the better."

Elphaba placed her green hands on top of Glinda's creamy ones. "We will, Glinda. I promise." I hope, she thought to herself. Leaning down she kissed Glinda's forehead and then took her hand again. She led the other woman through the castle until they found one of the bedchambers. Standing in the large room Elphaba just kind of stared at the bed. After all the day and night dreams of what she wanted to do to Glinda to show her how much she loved her, and now that they'd admitted to each other that they were in love, it was hard not to carry her love to the bed and live out her dreams. But it just wasn't the time yet.

"Elphie?" Glinda said softly.

"It's getting late." Elphaba replied. "And cold, we can't risk a fire."

Glinda smiled and hugged Elphaba. "That's ok we can keep each other warm."

Elphaba smiled in return. "Come on then."

Each woman stood on an opposite side of the large bed as they undressed. They'd shared a bed before but it was different now and each of them was feeling rather shy all of a sudden. After slipping into the bed and under the dusty old duvet the two women snuggled close together. Glinda loved how she seemed to simply fit into Elphaba. Sighing she asked, "Elphie?"

"Hmm?" Came the reply.

"When this is all settled and we're all safe..." Glinda began softly.

"Yeah?" Elphaba said, waiting.

Glinda laced her fingers with Elphaba's and sighed again. "Will you… Will you make love to me?"

"Every night for the rest of our lives." Came the heart felt reply and a tight hug.


	3. Chapter 3

When Glinda woke up the next morning she found herself alone in the large bed. She felt panic grip her heart until she noticed Elphaba's broom in the corner of the room, and the old spell book open on the desk along with her lover's trademark black pointed hat. Slipping out of bed she tiptoed towards the desk. Her curiosity was finally starting to get to her. What kind of spells did that book contain? Could anyone use it or just Elphaba? Glinda looked around the room quickly to make sure she was alone and then smiled. Reaching out she picked up Elphaba's hat, her smile brightening. She'd given it to Elphie to be cruel, but it had turned out to be perfect for her and now it made them both smile. With a tiny giggle Glinda put the hat on and adjusted it until it was slightly lopsided. Then she reached out for the book.

"Your wearing my hat." Elphaba's voice rang out, filling the room.

Glinda jumped and stumbled backwards with a yelp. She would have falling flat on her yellow clad bottom but luckily she was caught by something tall, soft, and green.

Elphaba laughed as she looked down at the woman she was holding in her arms.

"Elphie that wasn't funny!" The blonde protested as she got back on her own two feet. She huffed in a way that only Glinda Upland could huff, and then turned to look at the taller woman. "And were in Oz were you?"

Elphaba smirked as she tapped Glinda on the nose. "Having a look around." She answered as she walked over to the small table and started to unfold a bundle of cloth. Once the bundle was opened she pulled out some cheese, dried meats, fruit, and a bottle of ale. "It's not much but it'll do for breakfast. You can eat a proper meal when you get back to Shiz."

Glinda walked over to the table and picked up a dried fig. She popped it in her mouth and then began to choke when the rest of Elphaba's words had sunk in. "What do you mean when I'm back at Shiz?" She asked after spiting out the fig. "I'm not going back to Shiz!"

Elphaba opened the bottle of ale and handed it Glinda. She waited until the other woman had taken a drink before explaining. "You're going to go back to Shiz, Glinda. Your going to tell them I kidnapped you or something, or just don't say anything at all, let their petty little minds fill in the blanks."

"But…" Glinda was shocked. "But Elphaba..." Then she started to get angry. "Elphaba you just can't ask me to come with you and then send me away! We're supposed to be in this together! You and me, remember! A team, green and pink, defying gravity!"

The pink/red color Glinda always seemed to turn when she was ranting never stopping being cute to Elphaba. "Glinda." She said calmly as the blonde continued to rant. "Glinda. Glinda!" The blonde kept ranting to the point of tears. Finally Elphaba just leaned down and kissed the smaller woman fiercely. When she pulled away she looked down into the Gillikinese woman's bright eyes. "Now that I have your attention. We are in this together."

Glinda caught her breath and then asked, "Then why am I going back to Shiz?"

"Because one of us needs to be on the inside and that sure can't be me." Elphaba replied.

That made sense. "And what will you be doing while I'm playing the insider?" Glinda asked.

"There are always two sides to every story." Elphaba explained as she picked at a few raisins. "There's what the officials tell people and then there's the truth. There's the truth as the officials know it and there's the truth as the people know it."

"So while I'm getting the officials truth, you'll be getting the rest." Glinda added as she sat next to her love. "Elphaba, what you have in mind it sounds so dangerous."

Reaching out Elphaba took Glinda's hands into her own and held them tightly. "You didn't think going up against the Wizard was going to be easy did you?"

Glinda shook her blonde curled head. "No, but I don't want you getting hurt."

Elphaba pulled the woman off her chair and into her lap. After removing her hat from her lover's head and placing it on her own, she wrapped her arms around Glinda and held her close. "I don't want you hurt either, my love."

"So we both have to promise to be careful." Glinda sighed as she snuggled into Elphaba's embrace.

A gentle green hand brushed hair from Glinda's shoulder and soft lips leaned in to kiss hers. The kiss started off soft and lingering before becoming more passionate. It took a lot for Elphaba to keep it from going any further. Both women whimpered when the kiss ended. They sighed and made their promises to be careful before eating their meager breakfast. Then Elphaba brought the book over and showed Glinda some of the spells she'd thought were most useful.

"Do you think you could make a buddle that big?" Elphaba asked as she watched her love reading over the spell.

"I don't know." Glinda admitted and then smiled as she looked up at Elphaba. "Flying in a huge pink bubble how very me."

Elphaba laughed. "I thought you'd like it."

"It'll take some work." Glinda added as she studied the spell. "I'm not as gifted as you are."

"I'm not gifted, it's more like cursed." Pushing to her feet, Elphaba walked over to the window and looked out over the empty and disheveled courtyard. "If I didn't have this power I'd have never hurt those Animals, I wouldn't have made a target out of myself and maybe you, I wouldn't be..."

"You." Glinda said softly as she came up behind her love, wrapping her arms around her waist. "It will be those powers that help bring down the Wizard. You have a destiny, Elphie."

Elphaba grumbled. "Why couldn't my destiny have simply been to fall in love with you and lead a boring life being the Eminent Thropp? We could have spilt time between Munchkinland, the Uplands, and the Emerald City. Those were our plans."

"Plans change and you would have hated a life like that." Glinda said firmly. "You'd have never been able to go back to Munchkinland with all those Animals working on farms as nothing more then beasts of burden." She smiled softly then. "And you'd have pushed the first shallow Gillikinese person to say something snotty out a window in the Uplands."

It was much softer but it was still Elphaba's new cackle laugh that bubbled up from her chest. Turning in the smaller woman's arms, Elphaba pulled Glinda to her and held her tightly. "How do you know me so well?"

"You learn a thing or two when you live so closely with someone." Glinda smiled and took deep breaths. She wanted to remember what Elphaba smelled like, what she felt like, what she sounded like. Once she left the castle neither one knew when they'd be able to see each other again. That sudden realization made Glinda hold tighter to Elphaba. Looking into the other woman's eyes her voice came out as a tremor of a whisper, "Elphie, Elphie I've changed my mind, I don't want to wait. Elphie I want to, I need to make love to you. Please?"

The tone of her love's voice and the look in her bright eyes broke Elphaba's heart. "Glinda? Are you sure?"

Glinda nodded. "More then ever."

With that Elphaba lead her lover back to the bed. She didn't need to be convinced. She was feeling the same way Glinda was. She didn't want to go into this not knowing what it was like to make love to the person who held your heart in their hands, who completed your soul.

Night was falling as Elphaba looked down at her dozing lover. They'd spent all day making love and talking and simply being together. This made the commitment in her heart even firmer. Glinda was too kind, too good, to live in a world ruled by the Wizard. He had to be taken down.

"Elphie?" Glinda said softly.

"Hmm?" Elphaba replied.

Glinda sighed. "We have to go soon."

Elphaba nodded. "I know."

Sitting up Glinda looked into Elphaba's eyes. "Do you know something..."

"I know lots of things." Elphaba interrupted with a teasing smirk. "Want to be more specific?"

Glinda thumped her lover with a pillow.

Elphaba smirked, took the pillow away from the blonde, and put it in Glinda's lap, then rested her own head on it. "You were saying?"

Glinda looked down at the beautiful woman she'd just made love too and smiled softly. "I was just thinking about something I heard once."

"And what would that be?" Elphaba asked.

"That people come into our lives for a reason. They bring something we're meant to learn, to help us grow, and in return we help them grow. I always thought that was silly." Glinda said, a light blush on across her nose for just a fanciful thought.

Elphaba reached up and caressed Glinda's face. "And now?"

Glinda had tears in her eyes that she quickly wiped away so they wouldn't fall on Elphaba and burn her. "Well, I think that you were put into my life for a reason."

"I was?" Elphaba asked with a raised brow.

The blonde nodded. "I know I'm who I am because of you. I'd still be that silly little debutante if I hadn't have been roomed with you, and fallen in love with you."

Despite the sting Elphaba reached up and wiped at her lover's tears with her hand. Then she sat up and took hold of Glinda's hands. She placed the small cream colored hands over her own heart and looked into Glinda's eyes. "So much of me is made of what I learned from you. Your with me always, Glinda, kind of like a hand print on my heart."

Glinda's tears came more solidly but she wiped them away to kiss Elphaba. "Guess we've both been changed for the better."

"Changed for good." Elphaba added as she returned the kiss.

"I love you Elphaba." Glinda whispered when the kiss ended.

Elphaba held Glinda to her as if she were a lifeline. "I love you too my love." She kissed the top of Glinda's head and then smiled as she added, "But if you ever touch my hat again I'll turn you into a little blonde kitten."

Both women laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

It was totally dark out as Elphaba flew them from Kiamo Ko to the train station. She landed far enough from the station to be unseen, yet close enough so that Glinda wouldn't have to walk far. The two women stood in the dark and simply held each other for a while. Finally Elphaba stepped back, leaned down, and kissed Glinda.

"Be careful, Elphie." Glinda whispered.

Elphaba caressed her face and kissed her forehead. "Be safe my sweet."

"I'll see you soon." Glinda reluctantly let go of the taller woman.

Elphaba blinked rapidly in an attempt to keep the tears from her eyes. "As soon as we can, I promise."

Glinda headed towards the station turning to look back several times. Elphie stood stock still watching her. She sighed a sigh that seemed as if she were trying to lessen the pressure of her emotions. Stepping up to the ticket window, her cheeks wet from her tears, Glinda bought a ticket for Shiz.

Elphaba watched Glinda from the time she left her arms until the blonde's train steamed out of sight. She didn't know when she'd see the woman again, but when she did it would mean they were on the right path to fixing things. Mounting her broom Elphaba headed back to the Emerald City.

The entire train ride, which took the rest of night and most of the following day, was spent looking out the window and skyward. Glinda knew that Elphaba wouldn't be flying in bright daylight but still she wished for a glimpse. As the train pulled into the station at Shiz, the University looming in the background of the city's landscape, Glinda pulled herself together. She prepared for what she would do and slipped into 'Galinda' mode. As soon as she stepped off the train a loud cry pieced her ears.

"Oh Miss Galinda!" Madame Morrible cried as she rushed over to the girl. "We've been so worried! They said you had been drug off by that awful Miss Elphaba after she attacked our great and wonderful Wizard! We've been looking all over Oz for you!"

Great and wonderful my... Before Glinda could finish her thought she was drowning in a fishbowl of stain, silks, and lace.

When Morrible stepped back she looked over the girl and tisked, her great fish like face scrunched up like a dried date as she shook her fish like head. "Oh you poor poor girl. What did she do to you!"

Glinda opened her mouth to reply but was cut off.

"She's hurt you hasn't she? Stolen from you? How did you ever manage to get away?" The large overbearing woman tisked some more as she began to lead Glinda towards a carriage. "Oh dear girl you must tell me everything so we can catch her and our dear Wizard can deal with her, but not now, not out here. Lets get you home dear."

She'd been home. She was home as long as she was with Elphie. Biting back another sigh Glinda nodded and climbed into the carriage. Crage Hall seemed dark as they approached even though it was only dusk. The place she once called home now gave her chills and she shivered.

This gave Horrible Morrible an opening to continue her ranting about, "knowing all along that that creature was bad news. I mean she's green for Oz's sake!"

Glinda wanted to hit her. She knew that the bad mouthing would start now and she wasn't sure if she could handle it. How was she just going to sit there and listen to everyone say how evil Elphaba was when she knew the woman was out there trying to save their worthless little lives? Well, She thought as she climbed down from the carriage and followed the bloated goldfish into the building, Mother always said I was quite the little actress.

Morrible took Glinda up to her private rooms and order her tiktok servant to fetch a fresh pot of tea and some sandwiches. She sat the girl in a huge oversized chair and banked the fire in her hearth rather haphazardly. Once the tea was served and Grommetik was dismissed, Morrible started with her questions. What happened after you left the Wizard's? Do you have his book? Does Elphaba have it? Has she used it? Where is she? Where was the last place you saw her?

She tried to answer Morrible's questions the way she knew the woman wanted them answered, and yet keep them as far from the truth as possible. She was fairly sure the waddling old goldfish believed her. Finally, long after the moon had risen, Glinda was allowed to go back to her room. She was meet quickly in the hall by Milla, Pfannee, and Shenshen. They talked rapidly about how scared they had been and went on and on about how awful it must have been and how brave Glinda was. Glinda felt as if she were going to throw-up.

When Glinda arrived at her room, she nearly burst into tears. All of Elphaba's things were gone. "Where's all of Elphie's stuff?"

"Madam had it all removed." Milla replied.

Shenshen nodded. "Some of the boys from the other halls came and cleared it all out."

Glinda looked around the half empty room and wrapped her arms around herself tightly to keep herself from shaking angrily. How dare they come into her room and take away all of her Elphie's belongings! "Which boys?"

"Fiyero, Bok, Crope, and Tibbett." Pfannee answered.

A small amount of relief washed over her. It was possible that if Fiyero had taken care of things then Elphaba's things might be safe. Everything that had happened over the last couple of days finally hit Glinda and she felt more tired then she could ever remember feeling. "Look girls, I'm awfully tired and would like to sleep. Can we talk about all of this tomorrow?"

The three other girls all nodded and agreed to leave Glinda alone until she came to them.

Once Glinda was alone she laid down on her bed, curled into a tight ball, and cried herself to sleep with a single whispered name on her lips.

There was an odd new feeling in the air. Something about the Emerald City didn't feel right to Elphaba and it made her shiver. She had no idea where she was going or what she was going to do, but she knew that whatever it was that was going to happen it would start in this city.

The sound of boots on the street made Elphaba sink deeper into the shadows. The Gale Force was certainly one of the reasons the city felt so off. Their patrols seemed to have tripled since she and Glinda were here last, and that had just been just a few days ago. Elphaba bit back a sigh at the thought of Glinda. She had no way of knowing if her lover had made it back to Shiz and if she were alright, and it was tearing her up. What in the name of Oz had she gotten them into?

Stepping back a little more Elphaba's foot brushed against a bottle that rolled out of the dark and clunked against a trashcan. She quickly held her breath hoping that the soldiers hadn't heard, but her luck must have run out. Their marching stopped. Her heart sped up and then stopped all together as she slowly and more carefully side stepped along the wall of the building she was pressed against. The ally had another way out, if only she could get to it.

"In the name of the Wizard who is in there?" Called out one of the Gale Force officers.

Elphaba didn't reply. She watched as three men in uniform closed off that end of the ally. They wouldn't be able to see the other end, so she needed to get there before they blocked it as well.

"I said," Called the officer again. "In the name of the Wizard who is in there?"

Despite the situation Elphaba couldn't help but role her eyes. Could they use any cornier a line? Just as she was about to turn to make her escape she watched in horror as three more Gale Forcers blocked her only way out. She swore inwardly as she quickly looked around for another exit.

"Close in." Ordered the officer.

Elphaba could feel them closing in on her and she suddenly felt it hard to breathe.

"Over there!" One of the men called out, pointing in her direction.

With a wall behind her Elphaba couldn't sink any further into the darkness. She got ready to fight her way out, or more realistically into the morgue, but she didn't have the change. Elphaba felt something cover her mouth to stifle her scream and then she felt herself being pulled backwards. Just before she was completely engulfed in darkness she watched a pure white cat dart out and yawl at the Gale Forcers.

"You dummy it was just a cat..."

The voices and all other sounds drifted away as Elphaba was pulled away. Once she realized that the Gale Force was no longer a threat she began to fight off the threat behind her. Finally she bit down on the hand, no, that was fur, the paw that was holding her?

Whatever it was grumbled but didn't let her go. In fact the furry thing, an Animal, it had to be, picked her up as if she were one of Nessarose's dolls and threw her over it's shoulder. Elphaba wiggled and thumped it's back, demanding to be put down, while at the same time trying to figure out what it was. It was large, furry, well built, tall, and soft. A Bear maybe?

"Stop that." Came the Animal's heavy voice.

Elphaba huffed. "Forgive me for being a bad kidnappee."

The Animal laughed. "I haven't kidnapped you, you silly child. Those Galey Girls would have found you and drug you off to the Crackpot if I hadn't grabbed you."

Crackpot? Galey Girls? Elphaba smiled for a moment and then scowled again. "You're taking me to Oz knows where by force. I believe that defines kidnapping."

The Animal chuckled as he used his other paw to push open a massive wooden door. Suddenly the pitch-blackness of wherever they were gave way to a well-lit, though deeply underground, wine cellar. The Animal put Elphaba on her feet and then stepped back so she could see him. He was indeed a Bear, a black and brown Bear from the Great Gillikin Forest region.

"Spunk, I like spunk." The Bear chucked. "I can see why ol' Dills liked you."

This made Elphaba blinked. "Dills? As in Doctor Dillamond?"

The Bear nodded. "He was a good man, a good Goat."

At this Elphaba had to nod as well. She was about to say something but the Bear suddenly burst into laughter. When she looked over at what he was looking at she saw the white Cat (she just had this feeling it would be a Cat not just a cat) as it tried to walk in a straight line while carrying her hat by it's brim in it's mouth, it's height blocking it's sight. She walked over to it and took her hat. "Thanks."

"The broom was too heavy so Spots is bring it." The Cat replied. "And you're welcome." He smiled. "Thanks for the change to play with those idiots."

Elphaba blinked as she put her hat on and adjusted it properly. "Um, your welcome?"

The Cat bowed with a smile and then looked Elphaba over. Then he looked up at the Bear. "Haven't you fed her? Offered her something to drink? The child looks dead on her feet."

"I'm not a child." Elphaba protested.

The Bear rolled his eyes. "We just got here, Malky."

Malky hissed in protest then turning to Elphaba he asked, "Miss Elphaba, would you like a cup of tea? We can't offer much but Spots brought some things to make you comfortable."

"Spots?" Elphaba asked, noting that her protest about being a child went unheard or simply ignored.

"That would be me." Came a familiar voice.

Elphaba turned and in a very un-Elphaba-more-Glinda type manner squealed. "Fiyero!"


	5. Chapter 5

The gesture had even surprised herself. Elphaba had walked over and hugged Fiyero. Sure they had grown to be close friends, but Elphaba simply wasn't the touchy feely type unless it was with Glinda. What surprised her more, however, was the fact that he hugged her back rather fiercely. When she stepped back from him it almost seemed as if he didn't want to let her go. "Fiyero what are you doing here?"

The blue diamond spotted young man smiled and titled his head towards the two Animals. "I'm with them."

Elphaba blinked. "What do you mean with them?"

"Well," Fiyero began as he sat next to Elphaba on a crate. "Yorudric and I met before I came to Shiz. Malky I just met. They're friends of your professor's."

The large Bear put a paw on Fiyero's shoulder. "Though when Spots and I met he looked more itchy."

Again Elphaba blinked.

Fiyero laughed. "I was traveling to Shiz when I heard something on the road ahead of me. When I realized it was a Gale Force patrol, given how they feel about Winkies, I ducked out of sight. I watched as they marched a family of Bears down the road. I didn't like the way they were treating them. The way they were disrespecting Yorudric's wife, the way they were pushing around his daughter, she's just a young Cub. So I decided to scare them, thinking I'd give the Bears a chance to run."

"He jumped out of a tree wearing a scarecrow." Yorudric laughed. "He landed on one of them and scared the others right into my waiting paws. Knocked 'em out easy."

Elphaba smiled but held back a laugh. Turning she looked up at the Bear. "Why were they marching you down the road like that?"

"We were on our way to Dill's funeral. They grabbed us at the gates and were going to take us to a holding compound." Yorudric answered with a touch of anger in his voice.

"Dr. Dillamond didn't have a funeral. We don't know what they did with his body." Elphaba said sadly as she turned away from the others. "Our little group went to the pub and drank to his memory but that was hardly good enough."

Malky jumped up into Elphaba's lap and looked into her eyes. "Dills would have been honored by that, Miss Elphaba. He thought highly of you and your friends. Even Miss Galinda."

That made Elphaba smile a little. "Glinda." She corrected. "She dropped the a in his honor because he could never say Galinda properly." The thought of her lover made her smile brightly but then her head snapped up and she turned to look at Fiyero. "Glinda, did she make it back to Shiz?"

Fiyero nodded. "Morrible questioned her the whole first night she was back and that creepy tiktok of hers has been watching her ever since."

"My mate has gone to watch over her." Malky told the green girl. "Sable will keep her safe."

This surprised Elphaba. She had planned on somehow getting involved in something with the rumored underground, since her interest in Animal rights and her anti-Wizard attitude was well known. But Glinda had never shown an interest in anything other then herself, at least that's what she'd always wanted people to believe about her. Not many people knew the real Glinda. "Why?" She finally asked.

Fiyero laughed as he scratched the Cat under his chin. "It's the funniest thing. They think the two of you could be the witches of the prophecy."

Malky hissed and clawed at Fiyero's hand. Then he looked up at Elphaba. The Cat looked deeply into her eyes for a long moment and then purred. He could see it and soon Spots would too.

"The two witches of pink and green that are suppose to come during the Wizard's twenty-fifth year?" Elphaba asked, though she knew the answer. She and Glinda had already talked about it and the idea both excited them and terrified them.

"Silly isn't it." Fiyero chuckled as he brushed hair from Elphaba's shoulder.

Elphaba blinked again. "Why do you think it's so silly?"

"Because the prophecy also says that the witches greatest powers will be the truth and true love, and that they'll be lovers." The spotted young man answered as he got to his feet and offered Elphaba his hand. "Come on, we need to get you somewhere safe to sleep for the night."

Taking his hand after Malky jumped from her lap, Elphaba finally looked into his eyes as she stood next to him. What she feared she'd see was there. She sighed. "And you don't think that..."

Fiyero snorted. "No I don't. Sure you like each other well enough, maybe you've even become best friends, and Glinda's a great girl but she's shallow. In the end she'll end up with someone like that portly guy from Ozma Towers, Chuffrey."

Elphaba pushed Fiyero away from her. "You don't know her at all! How dare you say she's a shallow social climber!"

Fiyero blinked this time. "You said it yourself when we first met!"

"Yes, but I didn't mean it and it's clearly far from the truth now." Elphaba replied, a blush coloring her cheeks at the memory. She'd been angry with Glinda that day. The blonde had been flirting shamelessly with Fiyero all night and it had indeed made her jealous.

"Come on Fae you don't really think she's changed that much do you?" Fiyero asked, using the nickname he'd given her. "I mean how do you know for sure that she didn't tell Morrible everything? Do you know all the things people are saying you did to her? She's up there playing the victim!"

Elphaba walked to the other side of the room because she couldn't trust herself not to hit him. "I told her to let people think that. I don't want them hurting her or using her, so they have to think she was my victim."

"They're calling you wicked!" Fiyero yelled.

Elphaba smirked. "Maybe I am."

He quickly crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. "Your not." He whispered before kissing her.

Dark green eyes went as wide as plates. Elphaba was stunned. When he stopped kissing her she gently pushed him away. "What is Oz was that!"

"A kiss." Fiyero smirked and moved towards her again.

Elphaba held up her hands to keep him at arms length. "Fiyero don't."

"Why not, Fae?" He asked.

"Because." She answered curtly. "Just don't ever do it again."

Fiyero was about to ask why not when Malky yowled at them. "Come on kits. We've got to get Miss. Elphaba someone safe before your missed, Master Spots."

For a long moment Fiyero just stood there and looked into Elphaba's eyes but even they revealed nothing to him. "Alright come on then."

"Be safe." Yorudric said with a wave of his paw.

The trio all nodded and headed out of the cellar and into the moonless night. It was hard for Elphaba to keep track of where they were going in the dark, but she took in as much as she could. When they finally reached a building she was rushed inside and up the stairs.

"It's an old corn exchange. You'll be safe here." Fiyero said as they walked into the room. "Malky's staying with you."

When she looked around Elphaba was surprised to see a lot of her things there. "My stuff?"

"What we could get away with taking." The tattooed young man sighed. "Morrible wanted to go through a lot of it to see if it would give her a clue."

"I could hit her over the head with my broom and she wouldn't get a clue." Elphaba replied deadpanned.

Fiyero laughed and then hugged her. "I've got to head back. I'll come by the next chance I have."

Elphaba accepted the hug a lot more rigidly and returned it carefully. When he was gone she set about looking through her things. She was thrilled to see they'd gotten her green looking glass and most of her oils. They'd even managed to save some of her books. Sitting on the makeshift bed she looked through them until she picked up a pink one. She blinked. She didn't own a pink book. She'd never owned a pink thing in all her life. It made her smile however, because she knew to whom it did belong. Opening it Elphaba was surprised to find really well done sketches of herself.

Sitting under one of the larger trees outside the library, Glinda doodled in a bright pink notebook. There was a rather striking black cat sunning it's self near by and to keep herself from sketching her lover's face, Glinda drew the cat instead. When she heard the all to familiar sound of gravel crunching under something heavy she looked up to see Nessarose and Nanny coming down the path from Crage. She really didn't want to have to deal with the girl, but she knew they were heading for her. Switching herself 'on' she looked up and beamed a bright grin.

"Miss. Nessarose, Nanny dear, how nice to see you both out." She cooed.

Nessarose hadn't left her room since Glinda's return without her sister. She just couldn't get over her sister's sudden selfishness. "Miss Galinda..."

"Glinda." The blonde corrected yet again. "Glinda, the Ga is silent."

"Glinda," Nessarose repeated, "I know you've bee asked this before but I need to ask. Do you know where my sister has gone?"

"I don't know where she is, Miss. Nessarose. I've already said that Miss. Elphaba took me to the station and then she left. I've no idea where she is or where she planned to go." Standing she offered her best, most charming smile. "Now if you'll excuse me."

"I can't believe she's being so selfish!" Nessarose fumed.

Glinda stopped in her tracks. "Selfish?"

"She's gone off to do the Unnamed God knows what and has left me behind to fend for myself! What am I suppose to do now? The selfish wench has left me to do this all myself!" Nessarose whined.

Once again Glinda found herself fighting the urge to hit someone. Elphaba was devoted to this self-centered creature her whole life and now when her sister's life could very well be on the line, the girl was worried about herself. And people called her shallow. "I'm quite sure you've the ability to care for yourself, Miss Nessarose. You're growing to be a fine young lady."

Nessarose huffed and then nodded. "Perhaps your right, Miss Glinda. I don't need Elphaba. Let the Wizard do what he will with her. Now that she's gone I'll be in line for Grandfather's position. I'll show her."

As Glinda watched the girl and her nanny leave she sighed. "You'll never come close to the woman your sister is." She whispered.

"Your biased, lovey, but your right."

Glinda yelped loudly and looked around to see who'd spoken to her, but the only thing she saw was the cat. "I'm hearing things." She muttered as she lowered herself to a bench.

The cat jumped up next to her. "That's normally what you do with ears, hear things that is."

Glinda jumped up and yelped again.

"Your a rather jumpy kitten aren't you." The Cat said carefully.

"Your a..." Glinda stuttered.

"Cat, lovey, the word your looking for is Cat, capital C." The Cat finished for her. "Sable, mate to Malky, friend of the late Doctor Dillamond, and now kitten-sitter for a jumpy high strung blonde."

Glinda blinked and then huffed insulted. "I'm not high strung."

The Cat jumped off the bench darted out of sight and then ducked her head out from under Glinda's skirts. "Boo!"

Glinda yelped again.

Sable jumped into Glinda's arms and shook her head. "Really lovey you need to calm down. You must keep a level head for whatever you and the green one have planed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Glinda said snootily. "I've nothing planned other then to finish my year here and to marry a..."

The Cat laughed. "If you finish that thought I'll box your ears. Now, would you like to know that she's safe or would you rather work on your routine? Not that I'll ever believe you, mind you, but most of the Humans around here are hardly smarter then a house mouse and will believe anything, hence the problems at hand."

Glinda blinked and sank once again onto the bench. "She's safe?"

The Cat nodded. "My mate will watch over her, as I will you."

"Why?" Glinda asked.

"It's what we do and always have done." The Cat answered before jumping down. "Now, I believe you were doing a rather lovely drawing of me."

Glinda watched the Cat trot off to where she'd been and she blinked yet again before taking out her notebook and continuing to draw. She couldn't explain it but she suddenly felt better and worse all at the same time. Things were about to get weird.


	6. Chapter 6

_The crowd in the bookstore was growing. Adults as well as children listening, enthralled by her, all their focus on the young girl telling the story. It wasn't just the story or even who was telling it, but the way she told it. There was pride, love, and awe in Nessa's voice, in her eyes, in the way she carried herself. _

"_When will they be reunited?" A teenage girl asked. _

"_When will they fight?" A boy asked. _

_Nessa smiled. "We'll get there. We'll get there. There was still some ground work to lay first." _

"I won't do it!"

"You will do it because it has to be done."

"No! I won't! I can't!"

"You have to lovey. Trust her. Now off you go. Go on, your stronger then you think, you can do this." Sable said with a paw swat to Glinda's ankle.

Stepping up to the Hall Head's door, Glinda knocked and waited. For a moment she hoped that the woman wouldn't answer, but her hopes were soon dashed when she was called inside.

"Oh Miss Glinda dear you've come, yes, yes, as quick a bunny you are, thank you." Morrible said as she rushed over to the girl in a dancing cloud of brightly colored silks.

"You wished to see me?" Glinda said brightly as she allowed herself to be ushered in.

Morrible nodded. "Yes quite, you see I was just wondering, you know, now that you've had time to recover from your horrible ordeal, if you'd remembered anything new since our last chat?"

She'd known the creepy little tiktok was following her, and she knew that it would rush off to tell it's mistress what it had over heard. "Well as a matter of fact. I was just telling my dear Fiyero that I do believe Miss Elphaba was on about those monkeys with the wings. I think she was going to go back for them in fact."

"Back to the Wizard's for those horrid flying monkeys you say, well, yes, hmm." Morrible muttered. "Was there anything else dear?"

Glinda frowned and shook her head in a way that made her curls dance. "I'm afraid I'm still a bit shocked over it all."

Morrible placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Of course you are dear of course. Thank you for coming so quickly. Why don't you go have a bit of a rest now?"

"Yes, that would be nice, thank you." Glinda said sweetly and gracefully left the room. She managed to make it all the way back to her room before the tears came. Dashing into the bathroom Glinda threw up violently over what she'd just done.

Hovering outside the window of the tallest tower of the palace, Elphaba watched for movement inside. The room beyond the window was dark and still except for the clatter of the monkeys in their cage. The sound of the chattering, their limbs and wings clunking against the bars, it made Elphaba sick to listen to it knowing she'd done that to them.

Finally she flew through the window and landed near the monkeys' cage. "Shh." She hushed them. "I'm going to get you out." She quickly started to chant the spell she'd learned to unlock locks. The lock melted and Elphaba quickly pulled open the cage door. "Go, get out of here!" She told him in a whisper.

The lights of the chamber flared up and suddenly the room was as bright as day. "Just more proof of the greatness of your powers, Elphaba my dear."

Elphaba jerked around and stared at the Wizard in disbelief.

The Wizard smiled at her. "That lock couldn't have been opened by just any magic. I'm impressed."

The monkeys gathered around Elphaba to protect her but she stepped free of them. "Go." She ordered them without looking away from the Wizard. She raised her hands in case she needed to cast a spell to stop anyone from stopping them. "Go! Now!"

The monkeys all chattered and then took off out the window she'd come through.

"Oh well now I'll have to round them up." The Wizard sighed, but then his smile returned. "Your powers are growing stronger my dear. Are you ready to come and take your place beside me now? This adolescent rebellion is getting a little bothersome."

"I'll never join you." Elphaba told him firmly. "You're an evil little man and I'd sooner die then help you cause Oz more suffering!"

The Wizard sighed. "So be it, child."

With a nod of the Wizard's head the room filled with Gale Forcers who quickly closed in on Elphaba. Several of them grabbed her and held her as she struggled.

"Last change my dear." The Wizard said as he approached her.

Before Elphaba could reply there was a loud fearsome roar and before she realized what was going on she was watching as men wearing the uniform of the Gale Force were thrown against walls like rag dolls. She felt the ones holding her let go and she quickly ran for her broom. Once she'd grabbed it she felt someone grab her other hand. She was about to hit the person with her broom when she realized this person had blue diamond tattoos. "Yero!"

Fiyero smiled. "Come on let's get out of here!"

The pair ran out of the chamber while Yorudric took care of the rest of the soldiers. When they finally made it outside Elphaba got on her broom and pulled Fiyero on too. "What about Yorudric?"

"He'll be fine." Fiyero replied. "He likes that kind of thing. He'll meet us later."

"Meet us where?" Elphaba asked as she just flew away from the City.

"Somewhere safe." He answered. "Just keep going for now."

They flew in circles until Elphaba grew so tired she had to land. In the woods half way between the Emerald City and Kiamo Ko, Elphaba and Fiyero sat quietly while Elphaba rested. Her powers might be getting stronger, but she still tended to over use them. At one point she even drifted off with her head resting on Fiyero's shoulder.

Fiyero sat and held the sleeping girl, stroking her hair, and watching her breathe. He was also carefully checking to make sure she wasn't hurt. When his hand brushed against her breast she moaned and uttered a name softly. A name that made his heart break and his blood boil.

"Glinda." She whispered again.

"Oh Elphie." Glinda whispered as she listened to the talk rushing though Crage Hall. Everyone was talking about how the 'wicked witch' had attacked the Wizard. How she'd charged in with her army of Animals and Winkies, and how Prince Fiyero had surely been bewitched to make him choose her over Glinda. The last thing Glinda heard whispered as she climbed the stairs to her room was that the news of his eldest granddaughter's treachery had caused the Eminent Thropp to have a heart attack.


	7. Chapter 7

When Elphaba came to she found herself leaning against a warm body. When she realized who it was she quickly moved away from him and blushed. Scampering to her feet she walked over to her broom and bag. "How long did I sleep?" She asked as she fidgeted with her things.

"Most of the night." Fiyero replied. "How do you feel?"

"A little tired but I'll be fine." Elphaba replied. Turning to finally look at him she smiled softly.

Fiyero got to his feet and walked over to her. Taking hold of her arm he looked into her eyes. "Do you want to know how they knew you'd be there?" He asked hotly and before she could answer he told her. "Glinda." He spat. "Glinda told Morrible everything. Now do you want to tell me why you kept whispering her name in your sleep?"

Elphaba blinked. She'd been calling for Glinda in her sleep? "Fiyero."

"She betrayed you!" Fiyero scouted angrily. "She was suppose to be your friend and she betrayed you!" He paused when he saw the look in the green girl's eyes. "Why aren't you getting angry?"

"Because there's nothing to get angry over." Elphaba told him.

Fiyero blinked and stepped back from her. "What do you mean there's nothing to get angry over? She set you up!"

"That was the plan." The raven haired, green skinned young woman told him with a sigh. She'd been reluctant to tell him, to tell anyone, in order to protect Glinda but it was clear now she couldn't hide it from him any more.

"The plan?" Fiyero asked as he took another step from her.

Elphaba sighed and nodded her head. "So they'd trust her. She needed to give them something to prove she's on their side."

Fiyero blinked. "But she isn't?"

Elphaba shook her head. "No, she isn't on their side."

The young man didn't know whither to be angry or relieved. He settled for slumping onto a fallen log. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Biting her lip Elphaba moved to sit next to him. "To protect her."

Something in the way she said that made Fiyero look over at Elphaba. Suddenly it all made since. Why, after all these weeks, she never returned his affections the way he wanted her too. Why she pushed him away when he tried to get closer to her. "Your in love with her."

Elphaba nodded.

"Does she know?" He asked. "Does she feel the same?"

Again Elphaba nodded. "We have been for a long time, Yero. It just took us forever to admit it"

"The night you left the Wizard's the first time." He sighed as he put his head in his hands.

"Yes." Elphaba said softly as she looked at him. She hated the way he looked, as if his heart were breaking, but she couldn't help it. "Please, Yero, please don't say anything. If they ever found out they'd kill her."

It was several moments before Fiyero looked up. "I love you Elphaba and seeing her hurt would hurt you. I'd never do that."

Elphaba hugged him. "I'm sorry, Yero."

He hugged her back, but it was a different kind of hug now, that of merely a friend. "Don't be sorry about who you love, Fae. If you trust and love her then she must be something special."

"She is." Elphaba replied with a small but bright smile.

The rest of the morning was spent looking for food and deciding what to do next. It was clear that Fiyero couldn't go back to Shiz, and for now Kiamo Ko was out of the question as well. They needed someplace to lay low and regroup. Finally the choice was made to head to Munchkinland to seek help from Elphaba's father. They traveled at night and camped during the day. Three days into their journey Malky caught up with them and with him was Chistery.

"Elphaba save us." Chistery said as he sat near Elphaba. "Monkeys serve you now of own free will. Not Wizard's slaves anymore."

Elphaba was touched. "But, Chistery I'm the one who did that to you" She pointed to his wings. "I hurt you."

The monkey stretched out his wings and shook them before folding them again. "We like wings. You tricked by Wizard. Not your fault."

"You're building quite the following, Fae." Fiyero teased as he tended to their supper.

"All of which you'll need." Malky said from his place in the sun. "It's going to take more then just us Animals. If you can get your sister to back you, that would help."

The thought of her sister and the news of her grandfather's death caused a dark shadow to pass over Elphaba's face. Her family had never been loving towards her, but she loved them nonetheless. "I don't know about Nessa. She's angry as hell at me."

"She'll get over it." The Cat proclaimed. "She just had her ego bruised. It isn't the first time, won't be the last. The girl whines more then a Dog or a dog."

Elphaba blinked. She noticed over the weeks since she'd met the Cat that he seemed to know an awful lot about her and her life. It was really starting to creep her out. Getting up she walked to the edge of the clearing and looked out over the small lake they were near. So much had happened and changed over the last few weeks and now more then ever she found herself missing Glinda.

Malky sat there watching the girl then padded over to Fiyero. "We're getting close to the outskirts of the city. Tonight you and the monkey will go ahead on foot to scout things out. I'll stay with Elphaba."

He didn't like taking orders from a Cat but Fiyero had noticed the melancholy in his friend as well. If the Cat had a plan to help then so be it. "Just be careful with her."

"I always have been." The Cat huffed and then trotted over to Elphaba. "Come on, kitten. Get the broom and book. You've spells to study."

"I'm not a child, Malky." Elphaba protested.

The Cat flicked his tail at her. "When you're as old as I am everyone is a kitten. Now hurry up before I claw your leg."

Elphaba rolled her eyes but grabbed her things and followed.

Sitting in the gazebo of the summer house she and the others had once stayed at, Glinda sighed again as she looked out over the small lake. She was glad to be away from Shiz and Morrible, and everyone and everything, but being alone with only her Cat and that creepy tiktok made her feel so very lonely.

"So tell me again why that thing doesn't hear you talk?" Glinda said as she watched the living rubbish can out by the water.

"It's bewitched." Sable explained. "When I speak it hears only meowing, just like Morrible."

Glinda nodded. "And who bewitched them?"

The Cat laughed. "Nice try lovey but there are some things for me to know and you to find out later." Pulling a blanket over towards the girl she said, "Better wrap up lovey. I smell rain."

"Rain?" Glinda asked as she looked up at the cloudless sky. "Your daft."

The Cat smirked and watched as dark clouds suddenly began to roll in. "Am I now?"

Glinda blinked and watched in amazement as the night sky clouded over and lightening lit the sky. She yelped loudly as a bolt of that lightening hit Grommetik. "Oh great Oz!"

"Don't worry lovey it'll be fine." Sable reassured. "Think of it as a blessing."

"A blessing?" Glinda asked as she rushed to the side of the gazebo.

The Cat jumped up on the railing as well and peered into the darkness. Her eyes lit up at what she saw and she pointed a paw out into the dark. "Better get her inside before she gets wet, lovey."

Glinda had to squint her eyes to see what the Cat was pointing at. There were two figures in the dark heading towards them. One was awfully small, but the second. Her heart stopped. Tall, slender, with a pointed hat, Glinda squealed as she ran from the gazebo. "ELPHIE!"

She was tired from trying the weather spell over and over until she'd finally called up a storm, and now she was worried about being out in the open when it started to rain, but Elphaba's mind and heart stopped at the sound of her name. Her head snapped up, her eyes fought to focus, she forgot how to breathe as she watched the small pink clad projectile heading for her. "Glinda?" She asked almost afraid to know the answer.

"Oh Elphie!" Glinda cried.

Elphaba opened her arms just in time to catch the other woman. Her eyes went wide and then closed when she felt her lips captured in a fierce kiss. It was her Glinda. Wrapping her arms around the other woman she lifted her off her feet as she returned the kiss fiercely.

While the girls greeted each other Malky walked over to his mate and nudged her gently. Sable purred and licked his face. Then she felt the first rain drop. Turning back to the girls she called out, "Unless you plan on spending your night treating third degree burns rather then whatever you might do, I'd suggest you get her into the house, lovey."

Glinda pulled away from Elphaba reluctantly but then felt a rain drop herself. Taking her lover's hand she pulled the green girl towards the house and safely inside. Once they were safe from the rain Glinda wrapped her arms around Elphaba again and they picked up where they left off.

The Cats followed them inside and they both rolled their eyes. "Glinda dear." Malky said. There was no reply. "Glinda. Elphaba." Nothing. He sighed and head butted Glinda in the ankle.

Pulling away from Elphaba's kiss Glinda frowned and looked down.

"That's better." Malky said with a sniff. "Now dear, since Elphaba can't go out in the rain you'll need to go down and get the tiktok. Put it in carriage house. Sable and I will wake him up, for lack of a better phrase, after Elphaba's left tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Both girls said.

The Cats nodded. "So you better be quick lovey."

Glinda huffed. "Glad to see your Cat's as bossy as mine."

Elphaba laughed. "No kidding."

The prim, proper, and polished Lady Glinda mumbled and muttered the whole time she was out in the rain dragging the heavy tiktok to the carriage house. When she came back inside she resembled a sopping wet poodle. "Don't you dare!" She warned Elphaba at the first hint of amusement.

Elphaba cleared her throat to suppress her laughter. "I'll just go get you some towels."

Glinda huffed. "You do that."

Once Glinda was dry and in a clean dry dressing gown she and Elphaba were left alone. They sat near the fire and Elphaba carefully finished drying her lover's golden hair with a towel. When she was done she pulled the small woman to her and just held her.

"Oz how I've missed you." Glinda sighed.

"I've missed you too." Elphaba told her as she leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Glinda snuggled into her lover's arms. "Elphie," She began with a touch of sadness in her voice. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what my love?" Elphaba asked carefully.

"For setting you up, for your grandfather's death, for Nessarose's becoming such a witch." Glinda rattled off.

Elphaba chuckled. "You set me up because that was the plan we worked out, Grandfather..." She left that hang in the air and sighed, "And Nessa will get over it all."

Turning in the taller woman's arms Glinda reached up and caressed her face.

Elphaba's eyes burned with need, want, desire, and above all else love. Reaching out she held Glinda's face in her hands.

"Elphie what is it?" Glinda asked at the look in her lover's eyes.

"Kiss me? Hold me and never let go?" Elphaba whispered. "I'm having a little trouble believing your here with me, that you want me, that you love me."

Leaning up Glinda kissed Elphaba with all the passion and love she held for her. The two didn't even bother going to the bedroom to make love. They reclaimed each other, recommitted to each other right there in front of the fire.


	8. Chapter 8

The rain had stopped early that morning, allowing the two young women to sit on the lake house's front pouch to enjoy their breakfasts. They both sat on a swing with Elphaba's arms around Glinda. The smaller woman sighed happily as she looked up at a rainbow that was filling the sky above the lake.

"Elphie?" She said softly.

Elphaba cuddled Glinda as she replied, "Hmm?"

"Have you ever wondered what's on the other side of a rainbow?" The blonde asked as she snuggled into her lover's embrace.

Opening her eyes and looking up at the rainbow herself Elphaba thought about it for a moment. "When I was younger I use to think I could see places in my green looking glass. Grey, colorless, unhappy looking places. Turtle Heart called it the Other Land. When I asked him where the Other Land was, he said over the rainbow and that the reason the Other Land was grey and colorless was because rainbows drained it of all it's color."

"Sounds like a dreadful place." Glinda replied despite the smile on her face. Elphaba wasn't always open to sharing, especially when it came to her childhood, so when her lover did tell her something about her past it ticked the blonde pink.

The two were allowed to sit alone for a little while longer before Malky and Sable joined them. The two Cats looked at their charges a moment before Malky stepped forward. "It's time to go Elphaba."

"So soon?" The raven-haired girl sighed.

Malky nodded. "We've got to get going if we're going to make it to the river by night fall."

Elphaba shuttered at the idea of the river. "Must we go that way?"

"You know another way to get where we're going?" The Cat asked.

"No." Replied the girl.

"Then say your goodbyes and meet me down by the lake." The Cat told her as he and his mate headed off.

Glinda wrapped her arms around Elphaba and held to her tightly. "I don't want you to go."

"I know my sweet and I don't want to go." Elphaba sighed again. "But we have to finish what we started."

This time the blonde sighed. "I know."

The two gave each other soft kisses and gentle caresses before kissing passionately. When Elphaba pulled away she looked into Glinda's eyes and told her she loved her. Then she headed down to meet Malky. Just before entering the woods near the water, the green girl turned and gave her lover a small wave before disappearing as quickly as she'd appeared the night before.

She and Malky walked in silence until nightfall and then they mounted her broom. By morning they could see the river and Fiyero as he waited for them.

He watched them land and then walked over to them. He gave his friend a careful smile. "I was starting to think you'd gotten lost."

"I would have never gotten lost." Elphaba informed him in her trademark know it all tone. It was her smirk that let him know she was teasing.

"And why is that?" Fiyero asked.

Elphaba was still smirking as she sat on a log near the camp he had made. "I am a female and there by know how to stop and ask for directions."

Fiyero laughed as he joined her on the log. He reached into a pack for some food and offered her some dried meats and fruits. "You're certainly in a better mood."

"And a little more focused." Elphaba replied as she picked at a dried date. "I remember what it is we're trying to do. Why we're trying to make Oz a better place."

"Are we getting sentimental in our old age, Fae?" Her companion asked.

Elphaba shrugged. "Just really seeing past my own green nose for the first time."

By nightfall the small band, which now included Chistery who'd been out scouting head, were on the road again. It took them three days to make it into Munchkinland and another two to reach Colwen Grounds. As they entered the court yard Elphaba couldn't believe she was sneaking into her own family's home, but she couldn't be sure about the Wizard having men posted. Having left Fiyero and Chistery in hiding she and Malky entered the house.

She was just about to turn into the least used of the parlors when a voice stopped her cold in her tracks.

"You don't have to sneak around." The voice, which sounded male and adolescent, called out. "Nessie's tossed the Wizard's men out on their ears. She told them she wouldn't have them setting a trap for you here and that she doubted you'd come here anyway."

Elphaba turned to see a young man leaning against the wall. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you don't like us." He replied.

"Us?" She asked.

The young man smiled. "Guess it was to much to think you'd know who I was."

Elphaba stepped closer to the boy. She looked him up and down before blinking. He looked every bit like their mother. "Shell."

Shell smiled brightly. "Welcome home, sister."


	9. Chapter 9

As she stood in the library waiting for Nessarose, Elphaba still couldn't get over Shell. He looked so much like their mother, but still showed traces of their father. Neither she nor Nessarose could claim that. Nessarose shared some of their mother's features. Elphaba even less. Neither looked anything like Frex. What got to her most for some reason was the fact that her brother was perfect. Perfect limbs, peach colored perfect skin, and handsome features. Guess Mama had it right wanting a son, she thought.

When she heard the large oak doors being opened, Elphaba turned from the window she'd been staring out. She wasn't surprised to see her sister's appearance, so dark and stiff, she was in mourning and now the Eminent Thropp, what did surprise her was the fact that Boq was pushing her into the room.

"Hello Nessie." Elphaba said carefully before giving Boq a nod of her head. "Boq."

Her fellow Munchkinlander schoolmate smiled at her. "It's good to see you're safe, Miss Elphaba."

"Indeed." Nessarose agreed. "Boq dear, would you mind leaving my sister and I alone."

The look on Boq's face was some kind of mixture of disgust and relief. He gave his old friend a nod of his head before leaving the room.

The room suddenly filled with silence as the sisters simply started at each other. It was Elphaba who finally broke the silence. "Look, Nessie, I know your probably really angry with me."

"You abandoned me." Nessarose huffed.

Elphaba sighed as she sat in a chair next to her sister. "I know and I'm sorry about that, but I had to do what I thought was right, Nessie. I had to get away."

"What happened?" Nessarose asked.

"The Wizard, he wanted to use me." Elphaba explained. "He tested me, gave me this book and told me to read from it, I ended up hurting a lot of innocent Animals. He wanted to use me to hurt more people, not just Animals but all of Oz."

"It's said you attacked him." Nessarose said coldly.

Elphaba shook her head. "The first time I was so stunned I was in shock. I grabbed the book and Glinda and ran. The second time it was he who attacked me." Elphaba sighed as she got to her feet and began to pace. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Nessie, or Grandfather, or anyone else."

Nessarose blinked. "Grandfather?"

Unable to look at her sister, Elphaba returned to looking out the window. "They say he died when he heard the news of my so called betrayal to Oz."

Nessarose blinked and then suddenly started to laugh.

Elphaba blinked this time and turned to look at her sister. "What's so funny?"

"Elphaba, you didn't kill Grandfather." Nessarose told her. "He had a heart attack while his nurse and he were… Well, lets just say they had to lift him off her."

Emerald skin turned a deep dark green. "Oh."

Nessarose weighed wither she wanted to tell her sister what their grandfather had truly said upon hearing the news of his granddaughter's behavior, but decided against it. What good would it do for her sister to know the old man had been proud? Instead she asked, "Why are you here?"

It was hard to do especially for her but she managed to say, "I need help, Nessie."

"I gathered as much." Nessarose replied. "You want a place to hide."

"No!" Elphaba countered. She didn't like the tone of her sister's voice. It made her sound as if she were a stray dog looking for a scrap. "I'm not here to hide, I'm here to ask for help against the Wizard."

"And why should I ally with you against the Wizard?" Nessarose asked as if she held all the cards, which in her mind she did.

Elphaba knelt beside her sister's chair. "Because if we don't do something he's going to destroy Oz."

Nessarose snorted. "Now you sound like Papa. Have you lost your mind to the conspiracy theories as well?" The wheelchair bound girl looked down into her sister's eyes for a long moment before turning even colder. "Why should I do anything for you, Elphaba, you've done nothing for me."

That felt like a spear right through Elphaba's heart. She'd spent most of her life taking care of Nessarose because she blamed herself for her sister's condition. "What do you want from me, Nessie?"

"You say you've all this power that the Wizard wants and yet you've never used it to fix what you've done." There was so much anger, maybe even hate, in Nessarose's tone it even surprised herself.

"What I've done?" Elphaba asked.

"If you hadn't been born green, I'd be able to walk." Nessarose spat out.

Getting to her feet, Elphaba staggered back a little. She'd never heard her sister confirm her own guilt. "Nessie I…"

"If you finally help me Elphaba then I will help you." Nessarose told her sister before yelling for Boq.

When Boq came into the room he saw the look on Elphaba's face and went to say something but was cut off.

"Take me to the gardens, Boq." Nessarose ordered. "I will have tea out there, and then see that my sister and whomever else is with her is settled into rooms."

Boq sighed. "Yes, Nessarose."

Elphaba simply stood there. Sure Nessarose had always been prissy and needy but when did she turn into a bitch? Had she always been like that and sisterly love made her over look it? Or had it been an effect of her leaving her at Shiz?

"Don't you ever get tired of being her whipping girl?" Malky asked from the corner of the room where he'd been watching.

"Apparently not." Elphaba sighed.

Malky jumped onto the back of a padded armchair so he could almost look his charge in the eye. "Your mother took those pills of her own free will. It was her own vanity that made her think of your skin color as a curse rather then seeing your beauty."

Elphaba smiled at the Cat. Before Glinda, she'd have argued about the beauty part. "Thanks." She said softly as she scratched his ear and then stopped a moment later. "What pills?"

"Ask Nanny." The Cat replied as he jumped down. "Now lets go get the others."

"Wait, how'd you know…" She began, but Malky was already out the door.

After spending all night thinking and flipping through the Grimmery Elphaba had decided she'd help her sister even though she was slowly starting to believe Nessarose's life wasn't her fault. With her book tucked under her arm she knocked on her sister's door.

"Come in." Nessarose called.

Stepping into the huge room Elphaba actually turned completely around to take it all in. As children they'd never been allowed in her grandfather's rooms.

"Impressive isn't it?" Nessarose asked as Boq was helping her into her chair.

"In an over indolence kinda way." Elphaba replied. When she turned to look at her sister she watched in amazement as Boq knelt to put Nessarose's shoes on. When had he become her personal servant?

Nessarose smiled at Boq. "Thank you, dearest. Would you have breakfast held until Elphaba and I come down?"

That same look of disgust clouded Boq's once boyish face. "Of course." He bowed to them both before leaving the room.

Elphaba was about to ask what the hell was going on with him when Nessarose asked, "So have you come to give me what I want?"

You've been getting what you want all our lives, Elphaba thought as she nodded. "Consider it a gift." She said aloud as she opened the Grimmery to the right page. She knelt down beside her sister and began to chant over the shoes their father had given her so long ago. As the shoes began to sparkle and glow, Elphaba had to keep reminding herself that with her sister's help things would go a little more easily. When she was finally finished the once silver shoes were ruby red.

"What did you do?" Nessarose asked timidly.

Elphaba stood and placed herself in front of her sister, holding out her hands. "Stand up."

Nessarose blinked. "What? Elphaba that's not funny!"

"Stand up." Elphaba repeated.

For the first time in her life Nessarose stood on her own two feet.

Elphaba smiled at the pure look of joy on her sister's face. Even with all her doubts about doing it, that look made it worth it. "Now take a step." She saw the fear in her sister's eyes and held tightly to her hands. "It's alright, I have you. Step towards me. I've got you."

Her heart was pounding painfully in her chest as Nessarose took that step and then another, and then another. She was walking! She laughed gleefully before throwing her arms around her sister. "Oh Elphie! Thank you!"

Elphaba hugged her sister and smiled. "Your welcome."

"Oh Elphie you really are powerful!" Nessarose laughed happily. "You don't need my help, you could do it all on your own, but you have my help anyway." She added as she took more careful steps with Elphaba's help. "Oh Elphie now Boq will have to love me! I'm whole now!"

Elphaba's smile and bright eyes faded as she stopped taking steps backwards. "What do you mean he'll finally have to love you?"

"He can finally love me instead of feeling sorry for me." Nessarose explained. "His pity is what keeps him here, but now it'll be his love." Nessarose giggled like a happy child. "Oh Elphie your wonderful!"


	10. Chapter 10

Deciding that she'd been avoiding it long enough Elphaba made her way to the rooms that Shell had told her their father occupied. Her sister had explained to her that morning over breakfast that Frex had practically locked himself away with his books, scrolls, and Ozma theories. Stepping up to the door to her father's suites, Elphaba took a deep breath. "He's gone mad, Elphaba, be careful." She'd been warned.

"Who is it?" Yelled out a gruff voice. "I said I didn't want to eat! I'm busy!"

Elphaba swallowed. "It's me Papa, it's Elphaba."

There was a shuffle of sounds behind the door before she heard it being unlocked. When it swung open a grizzled old man who looked older then he was peered up at her. He looked her over for a long time before reaching up to touch her cheek. "Fabala? My little Fabala?"

Elphaba was shocked to say the least. Her father hardly ever touched her. "Yes Papa, it's me."

Frex smiled and then took his daughter's hand. "Oh my Fabala you've come home at last." He pulled her into his sitting room and then let go of her. He walked, with a bit of a limp she noticed, to a large table covered in papers. "Come Fabala, come see what I've discovered."

He wasn't the same man she'd left behind for Shiz. There was an almost wildness in his aged, haunted eyes. Elphaba walked over to him as he'd asked and stood beside him. "What is all this, Papa?"

"The truth." Frex replied. There were scrolls and open books, hand written notes in Frex's handwriting, and letters on official Ozian letterheads.

Elphaba looked over it all expecting it to be old sermons and unionist scriptures. She hadn't really believed Morrible when she'd told her and Nessarose that their father had begun a quest for find the Ozma Tippetarius. But there it was, all laid out for her. Everything on the desk was about the line of Ozma. There were even things about Lurline spread out on the table. This made Elphaba blink. Her father was a Unionist, a believer in the Unnamed God, he wouldn't believe in the pagan goddess Lurline.

"Don't look so surprised." Frex said. "You know the line of Ozma is interwoven with the myth of Lurline. Doesn't mean I believe in fairy queens any more then I do the Kumbric Witch."

Elphaba decided not to mention what she'd read about the Kumbric Witch, but smiled at the thought of her father reading martial about her and Lurline. "What have you leaned Papa?"

"I think I'm on the brink of finding a line." Frex replied.

"A line?" Elphaba repeated, her brows scrunched in a questioning way.

Frex nodded. "A family line tied to the Ozma line. If the Ozma Tippetarius can't be found, then the rule of Oz would go to the female head of this line."

This actually stirred something within Elphaba. A legitimate and rightful heir to the throne, someone to challenge the Wizard's power? It seemed an almost to perfect dream. Then again, depending on who it could end up being, a horrible nightmare, but anyone was better then the Wizard right? Well, Elphaba thought, anyone but Morrible.

After spending the afternoon with her father listening to his theories, Elphaba felt as if her head were going to pop like an over filled balloon. She decided to go for a walk in the garden, which is where Shell found her.

"I hear you're here looking for help." Shell said as he fell into step with her.

Elphaba looked at her brother. She didn't know him and was a little uneasy around him.

He gave her a dashing smile and then grabbed her hand. "Come on then."

She was again taken aback by the touch of a member of her family. It was strange, she didn't see the same emotions in Shell's eyes that she did in her father's or Nessarose's. There was no pity, loathing, or embarrassment.

Shell led her back into the house, down to the cellar, and to a door near the wine cellar. He opened the door with a key and then led his sister down a cramped and winding stair. At the bottom he opened another door with another key. Stepping inside he lit candles and lamps to give them light.

In the center of the room was the oddest contraption she'd ever seen. Elphaba walked over to it and then around it.

"It's a printing press." Shell told her. He then walked over to a small desk and picked up several pieces of paper, which he handed to her.

Taking the papers Elphaba read over them in shock. There were articles on Animal Rights, anti-Wizard sentiments, and even illustrations of Animals and other citizens of Oz being mistreated. She read over one of the articles and then looked up slowly. "Shell, this says that a man from Gillikin was beaten by the Gale Force for speaking against the Wizard's yellow brink tax."

Shell nodded sadly.

"How?" She asked simply.

"No one ever notices when I take off for a few weeks. I talk to people, follow the Force troops, we have people on the inside, Fabala, we're working towards the same thing you are, or at least I think you are." He waved his hand around to show the room as a whole. "I come back here and print those, then take them back to be passed out."

Her head was spinning again. Was she being told that her brother worked on some underground set up to unseat the Wizard? "But I've never seen anything like these before, not even at Shiz."

"Then you weren't looking close enough." Shell told her with a smirk. "So, I know I'm not some sorcerer or even college educated or anything, but will I do?"

"Do for what?" Elphaba asked.

"The help you came here looking for." Shell replied.

Elphaba looked at him carefully for a moment. "Why?"

"Because we hold the same belief, the Wizard's killing Oz," He paused and then took her hand again. "And because I'm your brother and you need help and maybe a little family to stand beside you."

There was never a time where Elphaba had wanted Glinda to talk to, to be with, more then she wanted her love there with her now to help explain all this to her. She never was any good at matters of family and friends until Glinda.

Oh Elphie, Glinda thought as the large pink bubble she'd just spelled started to lift from the ground. It had taken her weeks just to get the silly thing big enough to go all the way around her and give her room inside, and sturdy enough to hold her weight and not pop under her heels. With those goals accomplished, it was time for the hard ones. Getting the thing in the air and controlling it. How am I supposed to steer this thing once it's in the air? She asked herself as she looked down. The bubble was three feet off the ground and rising. Oh Elphie I wish you were here to help me.

She'd gotten the bubble to move around a bit and was trying to get it higher when she heard people calling out her name. The tone in her classmates' voices caused Glinda to lose concentration and the bubbled popped causing Glinda to land on her behind with a soft thud in the grass.

"Are you alright Miss Galinda?" Averic asked as he helped her up.

Glinda pulled her hand out of his and smiled politely. "Yes Master Averic, I'm fine, thank you, and it's Glinda now."

Pfannee and Shen Shen both looked impressed that Averic had shown Glinda some attention. Then they remembered why they'd coming looking for the blonde. Reaching into her bag Shen Shen pulled out a piece of paper and held it out to Glinda. "Glinda! Look! We've seen these all over campus. Morrible's having a royal Ozian fit."

Glinda took the paper, which turned out to be a pamphlet of some sort, and began to read it. It was full of anti-Wizard articles, including one about what had really happened between him and Elphaba. It was written so eloquently and with so much detail that she knew who had to have written it.

"Can you believe it?" Pfannee said with a huff. "The lies that green girl's telling people about our Wonderful Wizard."

It took a lot for Glinda not to react or say something.

"Madam said everything she's saying is a lie." Shen Shen added. "That she's merely trying to get back at the Wizard for seeing through her."

"Seeing through her?" Glinda asked when she finally looked up.

Shen Shen nodded. "He saw she was wicked, especially after she cast that awful spell that turned all those cute little monkeys into evil winged creatures."

Pfannee put her arm around Glinda. "You should go to Madam." She advised. "To make sure that wicked green girl didn't bewitch you."

Fighting the urge to push the other girl off her, Glinda settled for stepping away from her. "I'm sure I'm perfectly fine." She said with bouncy perk. "Madam and the school physician checked me over when I got back."

Both girls beamed at Glinda as Averic offered his arm to walk her back to the girl's college.

"See, our Glinda's too good to be bewitched by that nasty wicked witch." Averic said.

Something inside Glinda exploded with pain at the sound of that name. Wicked Witch, if they only knew the truth. They will, she told herself, they'll know and then they'll see how awful it feels when they feel the way they made my Elphie feel.

Once she was alone in her now private dorm room, Glinda sat on her bed looking over the pamphlet a little more carefully. She'd nearly given up but then something small caught her eye. At the bottom of the back page in the left corner near the fold was a tiny design. When she looked at it more carefully she could make out an entwined P and G wrapped around the handle of a broom. Pink and green go good together, she thought as she hugged the paper to her chest. Then she smiled as she wiped a tear from her cheek. But I think I prefer my bubble to that broom.


	11. Chapter 11

There were raised voices coming from the governor's office. Elphaba paused a moment to listen. It was Nessarose and Boq. She couldn't make out what was being said and nearly walked away until Boq's voice rose high enough to be clear.

"What are you doing with that book? That's Miss Elphaba's book!" Boq cried out.

Elphaba realized the Girmmrie wasn't in her bag. She'd left it with Chistery while she had lunch with her father because Frex had shown too much interest in the book. Rushing to the door she flung it open just as Nessarose began to chant. "Nessa no!"

Nessarose ignored her sister. If Boq wouldn't give her his heart she'd take it.

Boq moaned and gasped in pain.

Elphaba rushed towards her sister in a rustle of black skirts. She gently pushed Nessarose away from the book and then snatched it from the desk, pressing it against her chest protectively. "Nessa what were you thinking! I told you not to touch this book!"

"He was going to leave!" Nessarose yelled back. "I wanted his heart to be mine!"

Boq leaned against the wall gasping.

Turning to look at the man she loved, Nessarose turned pale. "Boq! Boq! Are you alright?"

"Of course he isn't you foolish girl!" Elphaba scolded. She quickly began to look for a spell to save her friend's life. "Get out of here Nessarose! Let me help him!"

Nessarose moved away but stayed in the room. She hid her face in her hands and wept.

Elphaba couldn't find anything to grow his heart back, but she found something to stop it from shrinking. She began to chant, her hands aimed towards the young man who writhing in excruciating pain.

The whispers all around her began to get on Glinda's last nerve. She wasn't sure ho much more she could take. Her body began to tremble like a teapot about whistle with a burst of angry steam.

"Easy, kit." Sable cooed as she walked along side the girl.

Glinda took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she tried to rein in her emotions.

"Have you heard?" She heard someone say. "They turned him to tin."

There was a gasp. "Tin?"

"Yes," The first voice replied. "A tin man that the younger one sent away to work as a woodsman."

"They're both wicked!" The group agreed.

One of the whispering gossips nodded.

Finally unable to take the bits and pieces of information Glinda stopped to ask what was going on. She'd gotten the Shiz version of a rumor going around Munchkinland that the Thropp sisters had turned a man into tin for making them angry.

"She wouldn't do something like that." Glinda said once she and Sable were back in her room.

The Cat sat on the bed next to Glinda said, "I know that, you know that, but all of Oz thinks she and Nessarose are wicked, and as long as the Wizard's feeding them what he wants them to hear they'll believe it."

"I'm not sure how much longer I can just sit by and allow these people to say such awful things about her." Glinda was near tears as she buried her head in her pillow.

"You'll do it for as long as is needed." Sable told her firmly.

When she looked up her eyes were red and puffy, fear shone bright behind her tears. "They know where she is."

"Have faith in her, Glinda." Sable replied. "She'll keep herself safe, if not for her own well being then for you."

"Papa." Elphaba called out as she came into her father's rooms. "Papa, I've come to say goodbye."

The old man came out of one of his back rooms with a satchel. "I know."

If she hadn't known any better Elphaba would have thought he looked sad over the news. "It's not safe for you here as long as I'm here."

Frex nodded and handed her the satchel. "Take this."

Elphaba took it. "What is it?"

"My work." Frex told her. "I'm not a well man, Elphaba, and you've been the only person to show interest in what I was doing. Find something to use in there my Fabala." He reached up and patted her cheek. Then he smiled down at the white cat at her side. "Oh Fabala you've another cat."

"Another?" She asked as she untangled her emotions, or at least tried too. She had gone her whole life without her father's affections, and now towards the end of his life she was finally getting what she'd longed for, her father. It wasn't fair.

Frex nodded. "When you were small there was this mangy white cat that always seemed to follow you around, no matter where we went, it was there." Frex reached down and scratched the cat's ear. "It's good you've found another one to keep you company." When he straightened he looked at his daughter and sighed. There was more to say but he couldn't say it. Instead he left her alone in his sitting room.

Elphaba stood there unable to move or think. It was Malky's nudge that got her moving. She clung to the bag her father had given her and then slung it over her shoulder as she reached the courtyard where Fiyero, Chistery, and Shell waited.

"Don't worry, Fabala, I'll look after him." Shell told her when he seen the bag.

Elphaba nodded. "Thanks for everything, Shell."

The young man smiled as he hugged his sister. "Don't act like we'll never see each other again, sister mine. Our paths will cross again." He kissed her on both cheeks. "Be well."

"Be well, brother." Elphaba replied. She and her little group walked to the gate, Elphaba turn to see Nessarose in the upstairs window. The two sisters hadn't spoken since Boq left. Nessarose never left the office and Elphaba was in a hurry to get going. Now they simply looked at one another. Finally Elphaba turned and left.

Together with the tribal prince, a white Cat, and a flying monkey, the so-called wicked witch headed west. They were going to Kiamo Ko. They had been traveling none stop for several days when Elphaba finally told them to go on without her. Fiyero wanted to know why but she simply handed Chistery her father's bag and then mounted her broom. "There's something I have to do."

Despite her sullen mood, Glinda couldn't help but feel like her old perky, bubbly, self as she traveled from one end of campus to the other in her bubble. She smiled and waved at the people below her who pointed and waved gleefully. "Truly the only way to fly."

Seeing Glinda made Elphaba's heart pound. She wanted more then anything to simply hold the small blonde, but she knew she couldn't. Coming out of the tree she'd been hiding in, Elphaba hovered in the air on her broom in Glinda's way. The people below them gasped and pointed.

When Glinda saw Elphaba she gasped, but hers was for sheer joy in seeing her rather then the gasps of horror the others were letting lose. "Elphaba."

"Glinda." She replied coldly, though there was pride shinning in her eyes. She knew Glinda could master that spell. She hoped her love would catch the tone in her voice and play along. They knew this would have to happen. Glinda would need to make a public stand against her.

Glinda did catch on and it was breaking her heart. "Really Elphaba, black, pointy hat, and a broom?" She sighed and shook her head, causing her perfect blonde curls to bounce and spring.

Elphaba smirked. "Well, we can't all go around in bubbles."

She nearly smiled at the hidden approval, but Glinda managed to keep it under control. "What are you doing here, Elphaba?"

"I have a message for the Wizard." The green girl replied as she and Glinda hovered above a growing crowd. "Tell the Wizard I've just gotten started and that I'm coming for him!"

Panic was quickly mixed with astonishment as Glinda listened to Elphaba cackle. It actually gave her goose flesh. She keeps that up, the blonde thought, and I'm gonna melt. Suddenly she saw Elphaba's hands raise, she was casting a spell. Glinda raised her wand, to counter just as she knew she was meant too.

The crowd below watched as pink and green sparks filled the sky. They heard the wicked witch squeal before flying off into the west leaving Glinda in her bubble hovering high above them unharmed. A thunderous roar of cheers for Glinda exploded from the onlookers as she lowered her bubble.

It took her over an hour to get past everyone and back into her room. She knew she didn't have much time before she was sent for. Once Morrible got word of what she'd done she'd have questions. Slipping into her bathroom and closing the door Glinda took out the piece of paper in her pocket. It was a spell. She wondered if it was the one Elphie had just used to get the spell into her pocket, but as she looked it over it seemed to be some kind of enchantment. Now that she had the bubble spell down, Glinda would start right away on this one.

"So did you get done what you needed to get done?" Fiyero asked when Elphaba rejoined them.

Elphaba nodded. "Yes." She sat beside him and took some of the food he offered. "Things are going to get more dangerous, Yero."

"I'm not leaving you alone, Fae." He told her before she could tell him they should separate. "Not only would I never forgive myself if something happened to you, but Glinda would most likely kill me."

Elphaba smirked. "With a magical pink bubble."

Fiyero looked at her oddly and then laughed. "Leave it to her to magic bubbles."


	12. Chapter 12

More and more of the anti-Wizard pamphlets seemed to make their way onto the Shiz campus, and even beyond that. Glinda had actually seen a few in the Uplands, and Upper Uplands while she was visiting home over summer break. Now that she was back on campus for her final year at Shiz, she once again found herself over hearing bits and pieces of information. According to what she was being told, Nessarose had become a tyrant. She'd taken away all of the Munchkinlander's rights, refusing to even allowed them to cross the borders. Glinda didn't think this could be true until she noticed very few Munchkinlanders on campus, the ones who'd stayed rather than going home for the break. Then came the news on Elphaba. She was being called the Wicked Witch of the West, because of reports saying that she'd hidden herself and the bewitched prince in the Vinkus somewhere, and because Nessarose had been proclaimed the Wicked Witch of the East. According to the people on campus, Elphaba had started publicly speaking out against the Wizard. She wondered what all the naysayer's would think when they found out that she'd been helping with Elphaba's speeches.

The Wizard of course retaliated. He and his new press security Horrible Morrible the bloated goldfish, were telling the people horrid things about Elphaba. They called her a liar, a thief, a rebel, and a lot of less nice things. They had all of Oz clouded in fear and hate. It was becoming harder and harder for Glinda to play her role, but she managed. It helped that she could talk to Elphaba now.

The moon was high when Glinda began to chant. Normally she used a mirror which she'd enchanted with the spell Elphaba had given her, but she was curious to find out if she could use other things as well, so she formed a small bubble that floated in front of her, and then changed her chant. The clear pink bubble soon filled with swirling multi-colored smoke. A few moments later Elphaba's beautiful green face appeared.

"Hello my love." Glinda said with a tired but bright smile.

In her bedchamber at Kiamo Ko Elphaba looked into her green looking glass at the less perky but still radiant face of her lover. "You look tired my sweet."

Glinda chuckled softly. "Nice to see you as well, Elphie."

Elphaba blushed a deeper emerald. "Sorry, hello my sweet," She smiled crookedly. "You still look tired."

"Not so much physically." Glinda replied. "It's not easy to pretend I hate the only person in this world I love more then anything."

"I know." Elphaba sighed. "I hate putting you through this."

"You aren't putting me through anything, Elphie." Glinda reassured her. "We're in this together remember? We're a team. You're not forcing me to do anything. I'm doing it because I want to, because it's the right thing to do."

They could only speak for a short time just to be careful; Elphaba didn't want to risk Glinda being overheard though she knew the spell protected them as they spoke. After they broke the spell, Elphaba went back to looking over her father's work. She had no idea just how much information he'd gathered. She was just unrolling an old family scroll when Chistery brought her a glass of cider. She gave the monkey a soft smile and nodded as she accepted the glass before going back to her papers. She was neck deep in family trees when Malky strolled in.

"Find anything?" The Cat asked.

"Maybe." Elphaba began. "I'll tell you if you tell me about the cat or Cat my father was talking about."

Malky jumped up on the desk and licked a paw. This had been an on going cat and mouse game since they'd left Munchkinland. "I've no idea what you're talking about."

Elphaba looked at him a moment and huffed. "Must have been a different…"

"Clearly." Malky replied before he realized that Elphaba hadn't finished her sentence. "What is it?"

Elphaba was staring at a drawing that had been wrapped in the family tree papers. It was a girl, no, a young woman, with blonde hair in curls and bright eyes. Most of her features were very Gillikinese in fact, but there was just something about those eyes.

Malky looked down at the picture that had so captivated his charge and then licked his whiskers. "The majority of the Ozmas tended to favorer their Gillikin relatives, though from time to time there have been a few with darker features, more Munchkin then Gillikin. Had one once that even favored the Winkie, but no matter their favoring features all Ozma's and her closest kin have had sapphire blue eyes."

"They almost look like…" Elphaba started but was cut off when Chistery brought her broom, cape, and hat to her.

"Time to go." Malky told her. "It'll take the rest of the night to fly to the Emerald City."

Elphaba nodded. She dawned her cape and hat and silently mounted her broom. She was grateful for the distance it took to fly anywhere from the Vinkus, it always gave her time to prepare. She was use to ridicule and scorn but at this degree it was really starting to get to her. There were times she wondered why she was still doing this and then she'd think of Glinda. She wanted a future with her. A bright and happy one, not the dark painful one the Wizard was leading all of Oz blindly into.

The next morning as Glinda made her way across campus she heard about the Wicked Witch appearing in the Emerald City to mock Morrible while she gave a speech on the Wizard's behalf. She's been doing that a lot lately, Glinda thought, I wonder why the Wizard doesn't speak for himself these days? Her musings about the Wizard were cut short when a messenger came up to her.

"Miss Galinda Upland?"

"It's Glinda," She corrected, "The Ga is silent since the a is no longer there."

The messenger blinked. "Right. Anyway this is for you."

The man, who Glinda realized was dressed in the green uniform of the Emerald City, handed her a letter, clicked his heels and then left. She watched him for a moment before opening the letter. It was an innovation to the Emerald City and a meeting with the Wizard. Her heart sped up. This was it, this was the in she'd been waiting for.

The next day her classmates had seen her to the train station with more then a little fuss. They gushed and cooed at her and beamed brightly as if she were some kind celebrity. She was relived when she finally found herself alone on the train. She wished she'd had the chance to talk to Elphaba before she left but she hadn't had a moment's peace in the dorm, and the train was just to public.

When she arrived at the train station in the Emerald City there was a driver and carriage waiting for her. It took her to the Wizard's Palace where she was escorted into what looked like a sitting room. This was definitely different then the last time. No smoke and mirrors, no huge taking mechanical heads, just a very simply decorated room. She looked around a bit and was about to sit when something caught her eye. She walked over to a small table with several glass bottles and cups. There was one bottle in particular that peaked her interest. It was a green bottle, one that she knew she'd seen before. She picked up the bottle carefully and held it in her hands with the greatest of care. It looked just like Elphaba's bottle, the one her mother had given her.

"Go on have a drink." Came a familiar voice. "Helps take the edge off."

Glinda turned to look at the Wizard. "No thank you, your Ozness, it was the bottle that caught my eye. I wasn't looking to have a drink."

The Wizard smiled as he walked over to Glinda and took the bottle from her. He too handled it with care. "Pretty isn't it? The stuff in it I brought with me, but the bottles I picked up during my travels."

"Bottles?" Asked Glinda as she looked for another bottle on the table.

The Wizard opened the bottle and took a drink from it, and then nodded. "I had two once." For a moment he looked as if he were thinking of something almost longingly and then turned and smiled at Glinda as he slipped the bottle into his pocket. "Now my dear I bet your wondering why I asked you here."

Glinda was biting the inside of her lip as her mind raced. Could the bottle Elphaba has be the Wizard's? Realizing she was being spoken too, Glinda nodded. "Yes your Ozness I was wondering."

The Wizard put his arm around Glinda's shoulder. "I've heard many great things about you my dear, not the least of which was your confrontation with the Witch. I'm highly impressed with you my dear."

Glinda felt slimy and wished the old man would let her go. "Thank you, your Ozness."

"I have big plans for you my dear Glinda," The Wizard told her as he led her out of the room. "Or should I say Glinda the Good."

"Glinda the Good." Fiyero repeated as he sat at the long table in the dinning room. "He's given her some fluffy title and the whole bit?"

Elphaba nodded as she poked at a bowl of winter fruits. "The people have even taken to calling her the Good Witch of the North."

"What is it with Ozians and directions?" The blue-diamonded man asked with a chuckle. "Now all they need is a witch of the south. A complete set of compass witches."

There was a slight tug on the corner of Elphaba's mouth, but it quickly went away. Now that Glinda was on the inside she had to be careful. She couldn't place her love in any kind of harm. She needed to think of the next step.

Fiyero watched his friend for a few more moments and then pushed himself away from the table. Taking her hand he pulled her away as well. "Come on, I've something to show you."

He led her to a hidden door in one of the upstairs halls and then up a twisting staircase. For a moment Elphaba wondered what it was with men, hidden doors, and winding stairs, but when they reached the top all thoughts of that were gone. He'd taken her to a huge and clearly old library.

"I thought maybe you could use some of this stuff." He said as he pulled out some scrolls. "There's all kinds of historical stuff here. My grandfather was a bit of collector."

Elphaba looked at a few of the items he'd pulled down and then turned to him. "Yero," She paused and smiled softly. "Thank you, for everything."

Fiyero just shrugged and then kissed her cheek before turning and going back down the stairs.

Elphaba sighed. She knew how he felt about her, but she loved Glinda and nothing could change that. Someday, she thought, he'll find his heart as well.


	13. Chapter 13

Standing just inside the open door of the terrace Glinda listened to the gathering crowd below her. She was due to make another 'morale' speech on the Wizard's behalf, but the comments she was hearing were unsettling. Was she simply adding to the crowds growing animosity towards her Elphie? Was she helping or harming what Elphaba was doing? Was she making things harder on her? Was she putting her in more danger?

"Everyday gets more wicked." A woman below her said.

"Everyday the terror grows." A man added.

An older man nodded as he leaned on his walking stick. "That's the way with the wicked. They spread fear where ever they go, seeking out new victims they can hurt."

Victims? What victims? Elphaba hadn't hurt anyone! All she was doing was telling them all the truth!

"She flies through Oz defaming our poor Wizard with her calumnies and lies." They went on.

Suddenly the voices became softer and Glinda had to strain to hear.

"I hear she has an extra eye that always remains awake." A woman told the others.

"I hear that she can shed her skin as easily as a snake." Another added.

The next voice was so full of distain it nearly made Glinda shiver. "I hear her soul is so unclean that pure water can melt her!"

The normally perky blonde was seething inside. She has an allergy! She wanted to scream at them. She has a beautiful and loving soul! She's a caring and strong woman who's trying to help you stupid empty-headed idiots!

"Glinda dear," Morrible said as she approached. "Are you ready?"

Glinda smiled her best smile and nodded. "Of course." She pulled up the hem of her long powder blue skirt and stepped out onto the terrace.

The chatter of the crowd died down as someone yelled out. "Look! It's Glinda!"

The blonde smiled and waved before starting simply, "My fellow Ozians. As terrifying as terror is…"

Inside out of sight the Wizard and Morrible watched as Glinda gave her speech. Morrible smiled an almost serpent like grin. "She's brilliant at keeping the masses pacified isn't she?"

The Wizard nodded as he patted the woman's hand that was resting on his arm. "Never underestimate the power of a curvy blonde who can bring any man to his knees with a giggle and a toss of her hair."

"She'll lead those poor helpless souls like lambs to the butcher." Morrible chuckled.

"Yes, but we must still find a way to stop the green one." The Wizard reminded his cohort. "Even lambs will learn to resist if they smell death."

Morrible cuddled close to the man as the cheers from the people outside rose. "I've been thinking about that." She told him as she watched Glinda work the crowd. "We must draw her out and the best way to do that is through the people she cares about."

The Wizard grinned. "The sister?"

"Among others." Morrible replied, her gaze never leaving Glinda.

"Do what you must." The Wizard told the woman before kissing her cheek. "You have my full authority to do what must be done for the well being of Oz."

The woman's smile turned predatory. "Thank you your Ozness."

Glinda's heart stopped in her chest and yet she kept speaking. Years of training her hearing to pick up on multiple conversations in case someone was talking about her had finally come in handy. They were going to go after Nessarose. She needed to warn Elphaba.

The skies all over Oz began to grow dark and the air began to feel heavy. Elphaba stood by the window watching the odd weather, an unsettling pain in her chest. She'd barely noticed her green glass begin to glow. She walked over to it, chanted her half of the spell, and nearly jumped at the look on Glinda's face.

"Elphie!" Glinda whispered in a panicked voice. "Nessa's in danger! Morrible…"

A flash of memory stabbed through Elphaba's mind. "Weather is a specialty of mine." The old woman had told her once back at Shiz. "This storm…"

Glinda nodded. "It's a trap, Elphie! For you!"

"I've got to go to my sister." Elphaba told her love.

"Elphie, please be careful!" Glinda was near tears.

Elphaba nodded. "I will try my sweet, but I mustn't let my family be harmed because of what I'm doing. That includes you, be very weary my love."

Glinda nodded. "I love you, Elphie."

"And I you my sweet." Elphaba replied before whispering the chant that would end the spell.

"Fiyero!" She yelled as she grabbed her broom, hat, and cape.

Fiyero was waiting for her at the bottom of the steps. "I didn't think that sky looked normal. What's going on?"

"They're after Nessa." Elphaba explained. "I've got to get to Munchkinland."

"Go on then, I'll be right behind you." Her friend told her.

She nodded and mounted her broom. She flew as fast as she could but the force of the winds was so great that it nearly knocked her off her broom and into a tree. She had no choice but to land in a field of poppies. The sky grew even darker and as she stood there she watched in utter disbelief as a house flew by her.

Unable to just stay behind in the palace, Glinda flew over the Emerald City in her bubble. As she grew closer to the capital of Munchkinland she noticed the sky beginning to clear. The site that greeted her when she arrived made her physically ill. There was a crashed house in the middle of the square and a very lost and frighten child climbing out of the wreckage. Worse yet there was a pair of striped socks and ruby slippers sticking out from under the house. She had given Nessa those socks for Lurlinemas and Elphie had told her all about the walking spell. It was so very hard to hold back her tears.

After watching the child, who'd said her name was Dorothy, walk down the yellow brick road toward the Emerald City with her dog Dodo, Glinda wandered into a cornfield where she could grieve for her friend and maybe catch Elphaba. When she was sure she was alone the blonde fell to her knees and wept.

Elphaba looked at the wreckage and listened to the Munchkinlanders celebrate the death of the Wicked Witch of the East from her broom. Her belly twisted and knotted in pain, anger, and grief. She hovered there out of sight until she noticed something in a near by cornfield. She landed a few yards away and instantly knew who the sobs were coming from. She walked over to where Glinda was and her heart broke even more.

Glinda's head shot up at the sound of rustling in the corn stalks. "Oh Elphie!" She cried as she got to her feet and went to her lover. She threw her arms around the other woman and held her tightly. "Oh Elphie, I'm so sorry! I tried to get here sooner, I tried too..."

Elphaba simply held the blonde.

When Glinda noticed the rigidness of her lover's posture she stepped back and looked into dark green eyes. "Elphie?"

"I left without saying a word to her." Elphaba finally said after a long moment. "They came after her because of me…"

"Elphie, don't blame yourself." Glinda said softly.

Elphaba looked at her rather coldly. "How can I not? Because of me my sister had a house dropped on her!"

"Nessa was killed because there is evil poisoning all of Oz!" Glinda replied. "Elphie, Elphaba, I know your in pain and you've every right to grieve for your sister and to be angry, but you need to stay in control." She held Elphaba's face in her hands as blue eyes started into green. "Together we will make them pay."

The fierceness in Glinda's voice and the love and compassion in her eyes made Elphaba's head clear. Finally she nodded. "Your right my sweet." She said a little shaky still. When she felt as if she'd finally had a grip over herself she asked, "The shoes, Glinda, where are Nessie's shoes?"

"I gave them to the child." Glinda replied.

"YOU DID WHAT?" Elphaba shouted.

Glinda sighed. "There's troops on the way here, Elphie. I spelled the shoes so they couldn't be removed by anyone but you or I. There's too much of your power in those shoes. The Wizard can not get his hands on them."

"But… But they're the only thing I have left of her!" Elphaba yelled.

Glinda took Elphaba's hands and held them tightly. "And you will get them back my love, I promise, but they and the little girl are safer with her wearing them."

"That retched little farm girl better not scuff those shoes, Glinda." Elphaba warned.

"Try not to be angry with the child, Elphie. That's all she is, a child." Glinda said soothingly. "A frightened little girl who was ripped from her family and brought here in that awful twister."

Elphaba sighed in frustration and pulled Glinda into a hug.

The two women were so lost in the embrace and their emotions they didn't hear the crunch of boots until it was to late. A group of Gale Force troopers surrounded them, four of them pulling Elphaba away from Glinda, two pulling Glinda to 'safety'.

"Let me go!" Elphaba roared.

"Let her go!" Glinda cried before realizing she couldn't break cover just yet. "I almost had her!"

Elphaba would have laughed if she weren't currently being restrained. She struggled and fought the men holding her but four on one were very bad odds. Not to mention the spear being pointed at her chest looked awfully sharp. She could feel her magic began to rumble in her chest, a light green sparkle crackled the air around her. She was use to this, her magic always flared when she was angry and upset. What surprised her was the pink that now glittered and sparkled around Glinda as she tried to help her. Both women were about to mouth a chant when a yell caused everyone to turn and look.

Fiyero gripped the weapon in his hand tightly as two of Elphaba's largest Monkeys let go of him. He landed with a skilled thump in the middle of the field between Elphaba and Glinda. He pointed the weapon at the soldiers and demanded, "Let the green girl go!"

The soldiers did this odd back and forth dance as they tried to figure out what to do, who to point their weapons at.

"I said let her go!" He repeated as he pointed the weapon at Glinda. "Or explain to the Wizard how you stood by while Glinda the Good was slain."

The troops looked between the man, the witch, and Glinda. They would be heroes if they brought the witch to the Wizard, but none of them were willing to let Glinda get hurt.

"Run!" Fiyero told Elphaba when she'd been released. He was aiming the weapon between the men and Glinda.

"Fiyero!" Elphaba protested.

"RUN!" He repeated.

Elphaba exchanged a quick look with Glinda who nodded and then took off.

When the witch was gone the men turned on Fiyero. They grabbed him, the officer ordering he be tied down and interrogated.

"Let him go!" Glinda demanded.

The officer shook his head. "We can't do that, Ma'am."

"I order you to let him go!" Glinda commanded.

The officer ignored her as his troops drug Fiyero off.

The voices of two witches blended together as they cried out, "FIYERO!"


	14. Chapter 14

Exhaustion took hold of Elphaba as she finally backed away from the Girmmrie. She had no idea if the spell she case to protect Fiyero had worked but she was to drained to keep trying. Dragging herself to her bed, she collapsed onto it and fell into a deep sleep. She didn't stir until Christy came into the room to wake her. The Monkey seemed excited by something and wouldn't give up on waking his mistress until she was sitting up and looking at him.

"What is it Christy!" Elphaba snapped.

The Monkey thrust something into her hands. "Look!" Christy replied. "Look!"

In her green looking glass Elphaba could see a small girl and three others. The child wore her sister's shoes, and at least one of her compactions was familiar to her. "Boq."

"They come for you." Christy said worriedly.

"Let them come." Elphaba replied as she got to her feet and walked to the window. "In fact," She whirled around, her long black dress dusting the floor at her feet. "Bring me the girl!"

Christy nodded and went to get some of his companions.

She really didn't know what she was going to do with the child when she got her there, but Oz wasn't safe for a small girl to be roaming with merely a tin man, a scarecrow, and a Lion. Especially since it appeared the Wizard had stooped to using children in his games. She was pacing in a swish of black fabric when her Monkeys returned.

"You're the wicked witch." The girl muttered when she was set down.

Elphaba turned and looked her over. The girl wasn't more then twelve years old. "My name is Elphaba."

Dorothy blinked. "You have a name?"

"Of course I have a name you daft child." Elphaba replied with a bit of a snap to her voice.

"But the Wizard, he said, he said you were…" Dorothy stuttered out.

"Wicked?" Elphaba replied. "Yes I know."

The girl titled her head and took all of Elphaba in and then she hung her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to! It was an accident! I don't even know how I got here! Please Miss Elphaba, please don't hurt me."

"But you've come here to hurt me have you not?" Elphaba asked coolly.

The girl looked up. "He said, he said he'd send me home if I… If I… I don't want too! I don't want to hurt you! I never meant to harm your sister!"

"How did you know the Witch of the East was my sister?" Elphaba asked.

Dorothy sniffled and hiccupped. "Glinda told me, when she gave me these shoes that won't come off."

Elphaba looked down at the shoes and her heart ached.

"Please don't hurt me." The child repeated. "I'd take them off if I could."

"Stop sniveling." Elphaba sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl blinked. "You're not?"

Elphaba groaned. This child was annoying. "No, I'm not. You can't always believe what you hear."

"But even the Tin Man said you were wicked." Dorothy said as she relaxed just a bit. She really didn't sense danger from this woman; she was just scared in general.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "The Tin Man and I have issues from our past." She explained.

"Oh." The child replied.

Sitting on a chair Elphaba began to rub her forehead. She was getting a headache. When she looked down she saw that the girl's small dog had come over to her. She reached down and scratched its ear. "Kind of cute for a annoying dog."

Dorothy smiled. If Toto liked the witch then she must be ok. Then she frowned as she sat on a step close by the green woman. "He can't send me home can he."

It was a statement, not a question, but Elphaba nodded anyway.

"Then I'll never see my aunt and uncle again." The girl began to cry again.

"We'll find a way to send you home." Elphaba told her as she put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

The girl looked up at her and nodded.

By the time the girl's three companions had shown up the child had fallen sleep. Elphaba was in her workroom when the three busted in wearing Monkey customs. She barely suppressed a cackle.

"Where's Dorothy!" Demanded the Tin Man.

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "She's sleeping, Boq, so be quite." The Lion and Scarecrow looked at the Tin Man and blinked.

The Tin Man raised his ax. "You did this to me!"

"I had too!" Elphaba shouted back. "Nessa said the spell wrong! If I hadn't you'd have died!"

"You should have let me die!" The Tin Man raged as he lunged forward. "Instead of living a life as a man of tin!"

The Scarecrow stepped in front of him and held the ax in a wobbly grip. "Don't be a fool, Boq!"

That voice, it took Elphaba by surprise. She stood there in shock for several moments before she whispered, "Fiyero."

The Tin Man looked at the Scarecrow and then stepped back. "Fiyero?"

The Scarecrow nodded. "She saved our lives." He said as he looked at both the Tin Man and the Lion. "Your heart would have disappeared." He looked at the Lion, "And that professor would have tortured you if she hadn't run from the classroom with you. You've both been so positioned by the Wizard that you can't see past the hate and hoopla!"

"You say this only because she bewitched you to love her!" The Tin Man protested.

"Why would she do that when she loves another?" The Scarecrow asked.

Both of the other men blinked. "Who?"

Elphaba opened her mouth to answer when she felt a tug on her cape. When she turned she saw Dorothy standing there holding a book to her chest and a scroll in her hand. "I didn't mean to knock this over." She offered the items to Elphaba. "Your talking cat came into the room and Toto chased it." The dog was cowering in its basket. "He stopped when the cat talked to him, he's never been talked to by a cat before, but not before he knocked these off the desk." The child yawned. "The pictures are very pretty. One kind of looks like Glinda."

"Glinda?" Elphaba asked as she looked down at the book. It was one of the old ancestries from Fiyero's library. She opened the book and flipped through the pages. She stopped when a familiar picture started back out at her. It was of that same young woman she'd seen while speaking to her father. Only this picture had a name under it. "Upland." She whispered.

Dorothy pointed at the scroll. "I had to roll that back up. It's got Upland on it too."

Elphaba unrolled the scroll and read it over. "Sweet Oz."

"Elphaba?" Fiyero asked.

"This has gone on long enough." She announced as she put the book, scroll, and Girmmrie into her bag. She grabbed her broom and mounted it, holding out a hand to Dorothy. "Your not safe here. I know you trust your friends, and so do I, but they need to get back to the Emerald City and I can't fly all of us."

The Tin Man stopped Dorothy but she smiled up at him. "It's ok. She's not so wicked after all." The girl climbed onto the broom.

"Are you three coming?" Elphaba asked.

Fiyero nodded. "We'll meet you there."

Elphaba nodded and then looked at the Tin Man. "I never meant to leave you that way, Boq." She pulled out a piece of parchment from her bag and handed it to him. "It's not finished yet."

He took it and looked it over. "What is it?"

"A spell to change you back." She answered.

He looked at it again and then handed it back. He wasn't sure if he believed her or not.

Elphaba simply nodded. "Hold tight." She told Dorothy before the broom lifted off the ground. "It's time to set things right."


	15. Chapter 15

Glinda held back a smirk as she heard the soft rumbles through the palace. People were questioning the Wizard. She knew it had been the right choice to send the girl here. She was just about to enter her suites when the wave of screams hit her ears. She ran to the closest window and looked out onto the city.

"The Witch has the child!" Someone cried.

The blonde witch looked towards the skies. Sure enough there was Elphie coming right for the palace. Hiking up her skirts she headed for the throne room. She knew what was coming. It was time.

Elphaba carefully magiced anyone who got in her way, she didn't want to harm anyone, just immobilize them. She landed her broom and stormed into the throne room with the girl on her heels. Elphaba looked up at the mechanical head and could feel Dorothy hiding behind her. "Come out!" She demanded, throwing a spell at he cog work machine. "Come out here and face me!"

The smoke and light show shut down and the small man who was the Wizard came out from behind his mask.

The girl blinked. "That's the Wizard?"

The Wizard smiled brightly and shrugged. "I like a good show." The man looked at Elphaba and took a step closer to her. "I'm glad you came back, Elphaba."

"It's time to put an end to this." She told him as she held her hand up, ready to cast a spell if she had too.

"I agree." The Wizard replied sweetly. "I'm getting tired, Elphaba. It's time you came to your senses and took your rightful place."

Elphaba blinked. "Which would be?"

"With me." The Wizard said.

No one noticed Glinda slipping into the room or the small bubble she held in her hand.

"I never asked for this. I was blown here by chance." The Wizard explained. "I'm no Solomon or Socrates. I was just a simple man who showed up when the people of Oz just happened to be looking for someone to believe in."

"We had the Ozma." Elphaba replied.

The Wizard sighed. "A child, an innocent, who's father made bad deals and selfish choices." He smiled at her. "I filled a void. People started calling me wonderful and I let it go to my head. See, I never had a family of my own. So I guess I just wanted to give the citizens of Oz everything."

"So you lied to them." Elphaba huffed.

"Elphaba, where I'm come from, we believe all sorts of things that aren't true. We call it, history." The Wizard said cheerfully. "A man's called a traitor or a liberator. A rich man's a thief or a philanthropist. Is one a crusader or a ruthless invader? Is a woman a wicked witch or a protector? Does she tell lies or the truth? It's all in the label that's able to persist."

"What are you saying?" She asked, knowing what Glinda was doing behind her.

The Wizard smiled and held out his hand. "I made you what you are my dear. I created the Wicked Witch. I am the Wonderful Wizard of Oz and if I say you're wonderful too then you shall be. The people of Oz will believe whatever I tell them. Join me Elphaba, at long last receive your due, so long overdue. There'll be such a celebration throughout Oz that's all to do with you. All you need do is join me and the people will adore you." He grinned even more. "They'll call you wonderful too!"

Elphaba looked at the man and said nothing.

"Join me, Elphaba and I can give you the one thing you've always wanted." The Wizard was losing patience.

"And what is that?" Elphaba asked.

"I'll de-greenify you." The Wizard replied.

It had been her dream. To work along side the Wizard, to have him take away her green skin, to make her normal, to bring her inside rather then always having to look in from the outside. The smirk on his face told her he was sure she'd accept. The smirk on her face told everyone else she was going to enjoy this moment. "And how would you do that? You have no real powers. That's why you're so desperate to have people like Glinda and me working for you. Why you have people like Morrible working for you. Though all she can do is create storms that kill confused and bitter young women and rip small children away from their homes and families."

The Wizard's smirk turned into a scowl. "This is your last change."

"This is your final stand." She retorted. "You have no powers nor do you hold any real power as the ruler of Oz. You don't belong here!"

"I am Oz!" He roared.

"You missed something your Ozness." Elphaba cackled. "You missed an heir."

The Wizard laughed as the room filled with troops and Morrible. "The line of Ozma ended with that child and her father."

"What did you do with her?" Elphaba asked as she stepped towards the Wizard. "What did you do to that small innocent child? Did Morrible drop a house on her too?"

"Seize her!" The Wizard ordered.

Several men grabbed hold of Elphaba but she knocked them clear magically. She advanced on the Wizard just as the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Lion rushed into the room. "What did you do with the Ozma?"

The Wizard laughed. "Is she the heir you think you've found? Imposable, the child is dead. Every last member of her family is dead!"

Elphaba cackled and sized the Wizard by his long coat. "You missed a branch." She pulled him close to her face and whispered. "It ends now." She then turned him to face Glinda. "The line of Ozma shared a relative with a Gillikin family who left the Emerald City for the Upper Uplands. A matriarch of the Arduenna line of the Upper Uplands. "

Glinda's eyes widened. "What?"

Morrible screamed a blood curdling scream as she grabbed a touch from the wall and threw it at Elphaba, catching the long hem of her dress on fire.

Dorothy shrieked and grabbed a pitcher of water.

Glinda, shaking herself from the shock of Elphaba's news, rushed forward as the water was thrown. She managed to get a bubble up around herself and Elphaba but some of the water had gotten on Elphaba's skin as it put the fire out. Elphaba was screaming in pain as her skin bubbled and blistered as if she'd been burned.

Dorothy looked terrified. "I was trying to help! She, she was on fire!"

The Scarecrow grabbed her and held her protectively. "We know little one."

"Glinda!" The Wizard growled. "The girl would have put an end to her and her lies!"

Glinda looked up angrily at the old man as she held tightly to Elphaba. "You stupid old man! Everything she's ever said is the truth! How do you think she knew so much! How do you think she knew!" She saw Morrible trying to get away and put a bubble around her. She then put her free hand into the pocket of Elphaba's dress where she knew the bottle would be. "The green bottle." Glinda hissed at the Wizard. "In your pocket."

The Wizard pulled it out, though he wasn't sure why.

"I told you it caught my eye. Do you know why it caught my eye?" The tiny blonde was fuming, her body trembling as she held to Elphaba's shaking frame. The man had hurt her Elphie and now he would pay. "It's because I'd seen one just like it." She pulled the bottle from Elphaba's pocket.

The Wizard gasped. "Where did you get that? Where!"

Elphaba looked up, her vision blurred by the pain. "My mother. It was my mother's."

The Wizard staggered back. "Your mother?"

Elphaba struggled to get to her feet, her eyes on the identical green bottle in the Wizard's hands.

"What happened to the second one you said you had?" Glinda demanded as she helped Elphaba to steady herself.

"I left it behind after I…." The Wizard whispered.

"Slept with my mother." Elphaba hissed.

The Wizard staggered back until he tripped over his own feet and landed on his behind. "The pretty Munchkin woman." He whispered. "My dark eyed beauty."

"That explains the power." Morrible said as she stopped fighting against Glinda's bubble. "A child of both worlds."

"All this time you've been working so hard to destroy your own daughter." Glinda's eyes were cold and hard as she dissolved the bubble around her and Elphaba. She then called the smaller bubble she'd handed to Fiyero back to her and held it up. All over Oz bubbles just like it had appeared. It had taken her and Elphaba months to spell and place bubbles, mirrors, and glass all over Oz just for this moment. All of Oz had just seen what had transpired. "And now all of Oz knows."

It was then that the Wizard heard the uproar from outside the palace. At first he thought they'd been chanting get the witch, and perhaps at first they had, but now the words rang clear. "Get the Wicked Wizard!"

"It sounds as if the people have spoken." Elphaba said as she staggered towards the man. She was in incredible pain, the skin of on her left arm, leg, hip, and side had been splashed with the water and was searing. "Your reign is over and done."

Glinda came up behind her lover just in case, but kept clear so that Elphaba could do this on her own. She looked at the captain of the guard and pointed to Morrible. "Arrest her and take the Wizard as well."

The captain nodded and his men did as they were told.

"What will you do with us?" The Wizard asked Elphaba.

She refused to look at him. "You'll be imprisoned and tried for your crimes. Ozian justice the way it use to be, the way it should have been, before you came."

The room took on an odd stillness as the Wizard was removed and Morrible ranted as she was dragged along. When they were gone no one was sure what to say. It was Glinda who finally spoke up. "Come on Elphie lets get you to my rooms so a doctor can look at your injuries."

Fiyero nodded his agreement. "We'll watch the girl and cover things here. You're the color of a creamy pea soup and I'm guessing that's not a great color to be."

Glinda looked at the Scarecrow and reached out a hand to him. "Fiyero."

He smiled at her as he took her hand. "Elphaba's work."

The blonde smiled as she looked at her lover. "A scarecrow?"

Elphaba chuckled weakly as she looked at Fiyero. "I couldn't stop thinking of how you rescued that family of Bears dressed in a scarecrow."

"A story you must tell us all but for now I must get her upstairs." Glinda nodded to them all and then helped Elphaba up to her rooms. Once she had her on the bed she sent for the doctor.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elphaba asked as she rested against the pillows. "Why didn't you warn me?"

Glinda sat carefully next to her. "Everything happened so fast Elphie, and I wasn't really sure until he confirmed it. I'm so sorry."

Elphaba's head was spinning with all the new revolutions. She just laid there for a very long time before finally reaching for Glinda's hand and raising it to her lips. Nothing more needed said between them on the matter.

When the doctor came Glinda stayed close by and tired very hard to keep tears from her eyes as she looked at the damage done to her love. Her beautiful green skin was red, welted, and blistered. After what seemed like forever the doctor came over to her.

"Her wounds will heal." He told her. "I have left medications for infection and pain. I will have some oils and oil based creams sent for scaring later."

Glinda nodded. "Thank you." She waited until the doctor left and then went over and laid next to Elphaba. "We did it my love."

Elphaba smiled weakly. "That we did my sweet, that we did, but there is still so much more too do."

"That's ok, Elphie, cause we'll be doing it together." Glinda sounded like herself again, hopeful and bubbly.

"As it is meant to be, my sweet." Elphaba said as she turned her head to kiss Glinda soundly.


	16. Chapter 16

Everyone in the small bookstore was left breathless but the story of how thei Queens had defeated the tyrant Wizard and taken their rightful places as rulers. Nessa sat on the couch, cuddling a small child in her lap who'd gotten scared towards the end of the story. "Things in Oz got turned upside for awhile after that." She went on as she wrapped up the story. "Madam Morrible and the Wizard were arrested and imprisoned for their crimes. The Wizard spent the rest of his life in prison, Morrible went mad," She paused to think about that for a moment. "Madder." She corrected. "Glinda and Elphaba took control together after it was confirmed that Glinda was the distant cousin of the Ozma, and Elphaba the daughter of the Wizard."

"What about the girl and her dog, Dodo?" A child called out.

"Toto." Another child corrected.

"Elphaba and Glinda were able to get Dorothy and her dog home safely with the help of the ruby red slippers." Nessa explained. "The power it took to do it though drained the shoes of all their magic and their now just the simple silver shoes that Frex had given to Nessarose the day she arrived at Shiz."

"Then what happened?" Someone called out.

"Did the Scarecrow and Tin Man become men again?" Someone else asked.

"Did the Lion get courage?" Another question was called out from the crowd.

Nessa laughed. The children didn't seem to want the story to end, nor did the adults it seemed. The last question came from a man with a long red beard. "The Lion had always had his courage, he just needed a little boost in the self-esteem department and helping Dorothy helped him with that. Elphaba worked out spells to turn her friends back into men. The Tin Man, Boq, he always had a his heart, it was just hurt and scared because it was so small. He returned to Munchkinland where he helped to undo the damage done by Nessarose while she was such emotional pain. As for our brave Scarecrow, Fiyero, he is a trusted advisor to the Queens and still a Winkie prince with a beautiful wife and three happy children."

The older girls, and some of the women, all swooned over the handsome Fiyero while the rest of the children all cheered.

"Then what happened?" The shopkeeper asked.

Nessa opened her mouth to answer when the two figures from the back of the room stepped out of the shadows. Everyone gasped and bowed at the sight of the Ozian Queens as they made their way over to the green teenager. Glinda smiled as she stood next to their daughter while Elphaba announced, "That my pretty ones is a story for another time."

There were soft moans of disappointment from the crowd but everyone nodded and collected children or packages and made their way out of the shop. When the crowd had gone the shop owner came over with the Princess' packages. "It is always a treasure to have you tell a story, Your Highness. This old place comes to life with the magic of your tales."

Nessa flushed a deep emerald as she nodded respectfully at the man. "Thank you, Master Billist."

The man bowed and wished the trio well before going back to his counter.

Elphaba crossed her arms as she looked down at their oldest child.

Nessa smiled sheepishly. "Hi."

"Don't hi us Miss Nessa Upland Thropp." Glinda scolded. "Your in very deep trouble."

Elphaba nodded agreement as she pointed a long green finger towards the door, and then followed her wife and daughter as they exited the shop. In truth she was awed by her daughter's talent as a storyteller, she only wished the girl would stop sneaking out the way she did. Once they were safely in their carriage and heading back to the palace Elphaba finally asked, "How do you know so many details, Nessie?"

Nessa shrugged. "I just do. Guess I've pieced things together from hearing the two of you and my uncles talk." She didn't tell her mothers about the old woman, Yackle, or that Malky and Sable told her other things. A storyteller had to keep some secrets after all. "Besides someone has to remember the details other wise things get twisted. I mean, what good would it do if somehow the story was told as if the Wicked Witch had melted or something? That's not very good for us green girls' image."

Elphaba cackled. "No I don't suppose it would be."

"Then the stories must be told." Glinda agreed. "Only next time young lady ask us and do stop locking your Alma in the smoke house. The woman's going to look like beef jerky soon."

Nessa snickered. "Yes, Momise. I'm sorry."

"Oh my pretty you will be when we get you home." Elphaba warned warmly. "After all, they didn't call me wicked for nothing."

"Yes Mama." Nessa sighed, resigned to her fate, but in the end it's always worth it because she gets to tell the story of how her mothers defied gravity and saved all of Oz while loving each other so deeply they made magical things happen. But that too is a story for another time.


End file.
